Syracuse city officials are going overboard in their attempts to shut down Acropolis, a popular Marshall Street hangout.

City officials issued Acropolis a nuisance abatement letter and the owners have a hearing on Dec. 11. At that time, it’s possible that the pizza shop may be closed for any time between a month and a year, which could be detrimental to the financial state of the business.

The nuisance letter was issued for three specific problems in and around the Marshall Street establishment during the past 24 months. But the problem is not necessarily directly correlated to Acropolis’ business style. It also is not necessarily Acropolis’ fault that crime is occurring outside the establishment.

There may be other restaurants on Marshall Street and the city of Syracuse that should be issued these nuisance letters, but these establishments may not be monitored as closely as Acropolis is because they do not have a bad reputation.

Acropolis has already taken steps to solve the problem, including hiring a security guard. There are plans to buy and install cameras, and an identification card reader to prevent underage drinking.

Police officers have asked Acropolis to close earlier than 3 a.m. to deter crime. But other establishments on Marshall Street are open until 3 a.m. or later and have not been asked to close earlier. Closing Acropolis could shift crime to other locations, and the overall problem will persist.

Officials at the December meeting should remember Acropolis has started to take steps to fix the problems. Instead of working against Acropolis, police officers should work with Acropolis owners and managers to fix the problem.

 

Published on November 15, 2012 at 3:00 am

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