DISTRICT HEIGHTS, Md. — Business owners are speaking out again in a Prince George’s County shopping center about the impact of large groups loitering in the parking lot. There is now a concern that the loitering is causing some customers to be afraid to shop there.
There have been growing concerns about this shopping center for some time. Now, WUSA9 is hearing from business owners and neighbors who say it’s too many people who aren’t shopping and that just hang around.
“It’s Friday night, it’s always crazy on Friday night because you have Crafty Crab, the liquor store, Fridays and people outside,” said Carl Jackson, who works nearby. “The people that get up and move on that’s cool, but the loiterers, they are the same ones every time.”
Jackson who works in the shopping center next to the intersection of Pennsylvania and Silver Hill Road in District Heights is addressing a concern for many: The growing number of people who just hang out at the strip mall — who they say are drinking and treating the parking lot like a club.
“It’s our concern about our clients,” Jackson said. “We have kids that come in here, elderly people and it’s not a good look for one and it brings a nasty element around here.”
It also has brought a lot of extra trash that he and other business owners find left behind every morning. Several businesses say it’s having an impact on their customers.
“We have people that’s scared to come in here,” Jackson said.
Many were too afraid to speak on camera with WUSA9 but expressed the same issue. They all believe a police presence would stop the loitering.
“Law enforcement hasn’t really been stepping up to do anything,” Jackson said. “They see it out here every day and us being workers here, business owners here, they should listen to us more.”
There is a private security company that was spotted patrolling the area.
“But the police presence is more that,” Jackson said.
WUSA9 has reported other crimes and concerns from other business owners in this same shopping center earlier this year.
“The teenagers and the cars and the noise going on weekends, it’s been kind of hectic,” the store manager of another business, Levon Davis said to WUSA9 in April.
Meanwhile, Jackson says this is a county issue that needs to be addressed.
“It’s been a problem throughout PG County,” Jackson said.
WUSA9 reached out to the County Councilmember for the district but has not heard back.