Jamaican resto part of gang raid

[attach]6382[/attach]Neighbours of the Jamaican restaurant on Vaughan Road that was busted by police as a street gang headquarters say they aren’t shocked.

“It’s not surprising, it’s obviously unacceptable,” said John Kernaghan who owns a business across the street. “I hope the residents in the area really become more vocal about it and make it clear to that kind of operation that it’s not wanted around here.”

The Boss Jamaican Bar, located at 423 Vaughan Rd., recently held a large barbecue, which residents say came complete with loud music, fancy cars and motorcycles, as well as a collection of people they’d never seen before.

Following tips and complaints from the community, police watched the business during the barbecue and recognized gang members in attendance.

An investigation found that not only were members of the Vaughan Road Bloods frequenting the restaurant but they were using it as a base of operations, police said.

A police raid then came up with a loaded .25 calibre Colt handgun, .357 calibre ammunition, .357 calibre Magnum ammunition, .22 calibre Long Rifle ammunition, .25 calibre ammunition, liquor, cash, marijuana and crack cocaine.

Six people were arrested and face a total of 10 charges. These include possession of marijuana, assaulting a peace officer and unlawfully selling liquor.

However, no one has been charged for the weapons, ammunition or crack cocaine reportedly found on the premises. As well, none of the six were charged with participating in a criminal organization, a common gang-related charge.

Police say the investigation is ongoing and more charges may be laid in the future.

That weapons and drugs were found in the building confirms what Kernaghan said he’d always suspected.

“It was just people hanging out, and lingering in a way that you wouldn’t around a food establishment like that,” he said. “Like people were going into the business and directly to the basement. Why are your customers going into your basement? That’s a little abnormal.”

The owner of the business next door to The Boss Jamaican Bar had noticed the same thing. Anna Sotille, who has run Italy at Home for 12 years, said the restaurant kept irregular hours and had most of its traffic at night.

“On any night there are people coming and going from his place and a lot of them don’t happen to be carrying food,” she said.

Sotille has lived her entire life in the neighbourhood and is dismayed by the bad rap her neighbourhood has, especially since it’s a community in transition, she said.

“I find it just sort of brings the whole neighbourhood down,” she said. “This is a neighbourhood that’s been on the upswing for a number of years now and it’s transforming itself, but I find that kind of business keeps other people from coming into the area.”

A resident who didn’t want his name used, but has lived in the neighbourhood a few doors away for 10 years, says news of the police raid was bittersweet.

“It makes you wonder with all the shootings around the city if that’s going to happen over here,” he said. “On the other hand, we’re happy that the police intervened here really quickly.”

Like Kernaghan and Sotille, the resident had his own suspicions about the business.

“I see people going in and coming out, and they’re not just high, they’re really [messed] up,” he said. “There are children around and that’s not cool.”

He said he even went in to the store twice to try to order food.

“I went and said, ‘Can I get a roti?’ And they told me they don’t sell roti,” he said. “I’ve never seen anybody buying anything. I made two attempts to buy food and both times they said, ‘We don’t have that.’ ”

Sotille, on the other hand, said the owner sometimes offered her his dishes.

“The guy’s food is actually good,” she said.

In the end, Sotille says the police reporting weapons, ammunition and drugs on the premises has left a bad mark on the neighbourhood.

“It’s more of a big picture thing than a little picture thing — I think it makes people think this is a terrible place to be,” she said. “But there’s really no reason for that when it’s just one person.”

Kernaghan says this will likely keep the neighbourhood more vigilant of who’s coming and going, but suggested the best solution might be to have a Business Improvement Area with increased control.

“I love the idea of neighbourhoods taking on a process of approval,” he said. “Like if a business wants to open in your neighbourhood, the residents and the other businesses around it have to approve it.”

Regardless of what’s done in the future, Sotille hopes the recent raid puts an end to illegal activity in local businesses.

“I’m just sick and tired of these kinds of businesses being around,” she said. “You know, just move on.”