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Police say they'd have fewer calls to McDonald's in downtown Indy if lobby was locked overnight

Nearly 60 calls since beginning of 2018
Posted at 11:41 PM, Jan 25, 2018
and last updated 2018-01-27 16:17:18-05

INDIANAPOLIS -- Officers with the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department say they're concerned about the safety of the McDonald's at 16th and Meridian streets after they made 57 runs there in the first 22 days of 2018.

IMPD says the solution to the problem is to lock up the restaurant lobby during the overnight hours and they've repeatedly asked the owner to do so.

"There's an abundance of police activity in one particular location to the degree that it's caused alarm," said Sgt. Christopher Wilburn, IMPD.

On Monday, police escorted several men off the property for fighting.

Officers say they've also responded to drug overdoses in the bathrooms, assaults, disorderly conduct, destruction of property and conducted warrant arrests.

RTV6 tried to reach the owner of the McDonald's to ask why the restaurant lobby stays unlocked overnight, but management couldn't tell us where he was.

One worker said, "I don't think it's a good idea to leave the doors open after a certain time. That's when the prowlers come out."

Two other fast food restaurants in the vicinity of the McDonald's say even though it can get rough in the area late at night, they don't have to call police often because they keep their doors locked after a certain time.

Between January 2015 and January 2018, there were 111 incident reports filed at the 16th Street & Meridian Street location, including 14 battery incidents, 10 cases of criminal trespass, 10 thefts and five vandalism incidents. Other common incidents include public intoxication, harassment and criminal arrests based on existing warrants.

 

 

 

 

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