BALTIMORE — Crime in the Loch Raven area of Baltimore county has raised concerns for some business owners there.
SEE ALSO: Baltimore County looking to crack down on properties causing public nuisances
The County Council is now considering a bill allowing the County to shut down businesses that contribute to the crime problem. A work session for that bill is Tuesday at 4 p.m.
The County hopes this updated bill will convince businesses like the Bel-Loc Starbucks to reopen. Some people want to see the property turned into a police substation. But Councilman David Marks says Starbucks has the right to block any other businesses for years because of their lease agreement.
Right now, the law doesn't give police power to do much if there were repeated criminal incidents at a single location. The updated bill would allow the police chief to take action if there were just two public nuisance violaions at the same property within two years - one of those actions could force a business to close.
The Baltimore County Council is expected to vote on the padlock bill Monday, April 4.
You can read the bill here.