PHILADELPHIA (WTXF) – A controversial bill is currently working its way through city hall designed to regulate ‘stop and go’ liquor stores. One part of the bill would force business owners to take down bulletproof glass inside their stores. But at what cost to their safety?
Broad Deli sits on the corner of the 2200 block of North Broad, inside a wall of bulletproof glass separates customers from workers.
“The most important thing is safety and the public’s safety,” owner Rich Kim said.
Rich Kim’s family has run the deli, which sells soda, snacks, meals and beer by the can for 20 years. He says the glass went up after a shooting and claims it saved his mother-in-law from a knife attack. Now, he may be forced to take some of the barrier down.
“If the glass comes down, the crime rate will rise and there will be lots of dead bodies,” he said.
A bill moving through city council reads: “No establishment shall erect or maintain a physical barrier.”
It’s called the ‘Stop and Go’ bill and is being offered by city councilwoman Cindy Bass.
“Right now, the plexiglass has to come down,” she said.
She wants to put some controls on these small stores that she says sell booze, very little food and are the source of trouble in her district.
Rich Kim resents the charge stores like his attract loiters and argues calls to police are often met with a slow response.
Mike Choe runs a non-profit supporting Korean-owned businesses. He plans on raising $100,000 to fight the measure.
“I do think it’s a bad bill that will endanger Korean Americans,’ he said.
Bass says she’s battling for her constituents.
Kim argues as a Korean-American he’s being targeted.
“This bill targets Korean Americans,” Cole asked. Bass responded, “Absolutely not. I find that offensive.”
Ah, there we go. Don’t leave out and he hyphenated “Korean-American”. Apparently only their lives would be affected by this.
Filthydelphia will be just as interesting as it ever has been. Their persecution of ccw holders has always been a thorn in my side for so many reasons.
On another note, one of my rituals with a friend after shows would be to go to this chicken n rib takeout joint near Poplar and Gerard. Customer area was about 8×10 and you almost couldn’t see the broken Indian guy through all the grease on the plexiglass. The entire sallyport was like being in a dirty fish bowl. I don’t even know the places name but we affectionately referred to it as “”the bulletproof chicken shack”. Being a couple of tattooed white boys in that hood was even more surreal.
The law would result in liquor stores being robbed out of business, liquor store owners being killed, and it won’t do a thing for public safety.
And of course, it wouldn’t apply to banks. I’m sure they’ll be able to keep their bulletproof glass in place.
“…Kim argues as a Korean-American he’s being targeted..”
And everyone is eager to jump on the “I’m a victim of discrimination” bandwagon.
They learned it from the jews.
These establishments are blamed for crimes in and near their businesses over which they have no control, are prime targets of criminals looking for a fast buck because they know the cops are slow to respond and scared of their own shadows when taking on the criminals. The city has already regulated the hours they are allowed to operate and now wants to put the operators lives in danger. The businesses need to sue the city in court.
Anyone in the government of PHILADELPHIA that votes to remove the glass needs to be made go and work in those stores see how they like a gun put in there faces
I kinda see this as a 2A issue with each having the right to self-protect. The Boot would leave us vulnerable.
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