City says local market is contributing to crime rate

i dont live in long leaf but i go there all the time. the clerks are real cool, trust me they get annoyed by the drunks outside just as much as the people there. the store is not at fault, its the people of the neighberhood.

As a resident of the Long Leaf Park neighborhood, I feel blaming the store and its employees, for high crime in the area is just plain wrong. If the store is not here, the criminals will go to Scotchmans or Rite Aid to buy their beer. As a matter affact, Rite Aid sales their beer cheaper than this store, so a lot of people already go there for their beer. The criminals are going to keep doing their damage to the neighborhood and the city is doing their damage to the neighborhood also by shutting down the only store that alot of people go to for groceries and just plain help. I have been short on my money before and all of the employees at the store have helped me in one way or another. They treat the neighborhood people like family. They are always cheerful and ready to give you a kind word. They try to keep the negative forces out of this neighborhood, and when it is gone the city will see that is was not their fault. Then it will be too late for the store, the employees and the neighborhood that depends on a short walk to get the staples of life and a kind word from people who trully care about them. There has got to be something else that can be done about the crime rate.

umm... Doen't every store sell alcohol and ciggerettes?