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ChrisMerchant's Blog

by ChrisMerchant from The City Beautiful

Last Post 299 days, 15 hours Ago


The IHOP in Casselberry was held up. Considering the neighborhood, and the number of cops that patrol it, not to mention the 55,000+ concealed carry permits in Central Florida, the terrorists that did it were either stupid, or very lucky.

We've got "home invasions" in Longwood, the IHOP down the street getting held up, promising star high school athletes from Lake Brantley getting killed in drug deals, Guardian Angels patrolling the streets, half a ton of marijuana found in a car in Longwood on a residential street where kids play stickball in the road, the list goes on and on.

Remember the rest area killings a number of years back? Disney noticed a drop in their out of state attendance numbers that year. Crime up the street from Universal in MetroWest... remember "MetroWest becomes the OldWest" with the shoot-out in the WalMart parking lot where over 50 shots were fired and nobody was hit?

This area will economically die if the attractions start to notice a decline in attendance over a few years. The weather is nice, but people will move where there's less crime out of self-preservation. Property values will drop.


This is the City Beautiful! This is the Tourist Capitol of the World! What's going on??? Do we need more police? Do we need more community involvement? It's time to stop talking about how bad it is and change it! We need to figure out what the problem is and address it NOW!
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Truthguys read my blog view my photos
Jan 31, 2007 | 6:15 PM

That has been exactly my agenda for the past year on http://truthguys.blogspot.com where we peg these thugs as American Terrorists. Homeland Security has warned us of Mall shootings and terror acts in sport events, etc. But just watch the news all day ... Black Criminals for the most part Terrorizing the city. You cant go to a 7-11 store without getting robbed. You cant get a Play Station and take it home unless a Terrorist robs you of it. You cant be a good kid who gets killed over his rims. You now cant go to a Resturant unless the American Terrorist strikes again.

While Billions is being spent on Al Quada, the status que is for the American Terrorists.

Email your City Reps ... you can find their emails on that Blog above... just scroll to catch it .

luckydolphin read my blog view my photos
Jan 31, 2007 | 6:19 PM

Some developer is trying to 'change the name' of metro-west to some other feel good name to 'get rid of' the high crime image so he can sell his houses and condos. Not a solution. I hate to say it like this, but, Welcome to Central Florida. The locals don't mean squat, as long as the tourists keep coming-and they WILL-all the politicos are happy.

luckydolphin read my blog view my photos
Jan 31, 2007 | 6:29 PM

Chris: You can still find decent places to call home, but don't expect a realtor to tell you where they are. They haven't been able to give 'demographic' stats for some time now, you know, it 'discriminates' against the criminal and thugs. Stick around, get to know some folks who have been here for 20-30 years(we are still here, but tend to stick together for safety reasons). I probably live within a mile of you, and our little corner is ok because we all have an old time sense of community-plus we don't fool around. A truck driving politician-hmmm-not a bad concept.

meland read my blog
Jan 31, 2007 | 6:49 PM

To truthguy

You sound a little racist crimes come in all colors

ChrisMerchant read my blog view my photos
Jan 31, 2007 | 6:50 PM

When I first moved here, I lived in MetroWest. I LOVED IT. I lived near Hiawassee and Raleigh, shopped @ Publix & worked out @ the Cardio Club, loving the neighborhood & the calmness of it all. My lease ran out & I moved to the Lockhart area. I'd been there for about 3 months when someone was murdered in the same building that I lived in in MetroWest. My lease ran out in Lockhart as well, (I did the short term thing to find a place to call home) & I'm glad I moved. The person who moved into my old apartment was burglarized. I moved in with a friend in northern Longwood, & that's when the drugs were found in the car on the street I lived on! I like my little place here off Wekiva Springs. God help the idiot that does bad stuff here... the HOA will have them skinned alive before the Seminole Deputy who lives two doors down can call for back-up!

Hawkeye read my blog
Jan 31, 2007 | 6:56 PM

Yeah, TG, YOU should have said African-Americans....
What's WRONG with you, Never heard of Political Correctness??? LOL

luckydolphin read my blog view my photos
Jan 31, 2007 | 7:08 PM

Not so bad on the '79 side of longwood, at least in the wekiva springs area, don't rely on the HOA for much except high fees. Still, look out for yourself once it gets dark, and keep your doors and windows locked. Bored kids find stuff to 'do' if you make it easy. I'm on the '50 side, several agencies 'represented' all up and down the street, by the time the locals arrive, there is quite the militia out and about. We still had a few issues with juveniles who learned just how effective zip ties can be. It's nice and quiet now.

luckydolphin read my blog view my photos
Jan 31, 2007 | 7:13 PM

Oh yeah, that IHOP in Casselberry, not such a good neighborhood even in daylight. Definately NOT safe at night. That pretty much holds for the whole 436 strip from Apopka to the Airport once the sun goes down.

Truthguys read my blog view my photos
Jan 31, 2007 | 7:43 PM

meland, I am sorry. I am not racist at all. My family has given Millions to Southern Black colleges and has a library named after my Grandfather for his help. I am just telling the Truth. The crime is mostly from the Black neighborhoods. Just watch the news. Yes you have the lady in Daytona who killed her husband and the sex pedo sickos seem to be white, and the Meth crimes are white. But the gun crimes with robberys, and murders are not 90 percent black offenders... it is 100 percent.

Hawkeye: I cant say Africian-Americans since they arent from Africa. And trust me I hate the black thing and the white label thing. But that community who has Black College reunion, Black colleges, Black Football conference, Black Miss America.... That is so wrong.

I am so not racist because I wish allllll this skin color thing can be so 1950's KKK days and be a sick nightmare gone in the garbage.

If you cut down on Black Criminals, you eliminate Crime in Central Florida. Ask the police where they are responding to the crimes.

Hawkeye read my blog
Jan 31, 2007 | 8:57 PM

I knew that , TG, I could have used any number of different approaches to the absurdity of msland's comment but I chose the Mock PC approach..
The FACT is,, The sooner that it becomes MORE important to make black communities safer for ALL people of ALL colors rather then treat this problem as an exercise in political correctness, the Better it will be for ALL people of ALL colors in ALL communities, INCLUDING THE BLACK COMMUNITY...
But then , there will STILL be RACISTS using the RACE card......

cowluvr911 read my blog view my photos
Jan 31, 2007 | 9:12 PM

we need 2 stop hiring the crooked cops & get some REAL cops in this place & i guarantee crime will decline!!! PROBLEM SOLVED!!!!!

Truthguys read my blog view my photos
Jan 31, 2007 | 10:36 PM

The plan the Police Chief and Sherriff Berry came up with was to add more hours to the existing patrols. Whattttttttttt? That is the best we get. I am trying so hard to get our plan going for April at the latest .... they wont like it. Second thought the patrol officers will like it but the powers that be will be shamed.. I am hurrying. I might place our plan on our company site when it goes official with our Grand opening.. I cant remain hush hush forever.

polecatextreme read my blog view my photos
Feb 1, 2007 | 9:23 AM

longer patrol hours make for tired officers, resulting in increased mistakes. do you want some dirtbag released because a tired out officer made a mistake, and a legal sleezeball (lawyer) crys foul, my clients rights are violated! (never mind the victims rights) I say make fatso beary and his cronys walk a beat too, maybe he'll look more like an officer, and less like a couch potato!

Hieronymus read my blog view my photos
Feb 1, 2007 | 11:45 AM

Part of the problem lies with the tapestry of this area. Orlando et al will always have more of a challenge than many other regions because of this.

I have sometimes referred to Central FL as "flypaper for the mundane". Meaning that it attracts many people from all over but the majority of those who get "stuck" here are the mundane.

Such is the nature of a tourist-focused economy and government. When new businesses open, from hotels to mini storage units, they are touted as boons to our area for bringing JOBS here. Yet what kind of jobs are we talking about? Hotels, theme parks and 7-11s alike create more under $10/hr jobs than anything else. Consider what that does to our demographics.

We are creating a haven for the undereducated, underskilled and underpaid via our current direction of growth and industry. When such people stay here they, in turn, create a disproportionate amount of crime. As long as we stay this course, crime will always be a huge issue, just as a lack of culture and other pursuits of the mind will continue to be lacking here.

Considering this, Central FL does, indeed, need to put more resources into crime prevention and control. It's just the nature of the beast.

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ChrisMerchant

I'm the Sales Manager for ROCK100diz.com and her sister internet stations. I've worked in TV and radio in Cleveland and Tampa (working with some amazing, Murrow and Emmy Award winning people) and somewhere along the way I've managed to drive over 2 million miles in a semi truck. I'm working on a novel, and I've been considering a run for the state house in a few years.

Member Since: 1/10/2007