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Street gangs taking over McDonald's at corner of Mackay & Ste Catherine?

Doc Holliday

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The view from Robert Roy-Laliberte's Mackay St. apartment window is like watching a live television crime show, complete with drug deals, muggings and beatings.

The only thing missing, says Roy-Laliberte, are the cops.

"I see a gang of kids in my alley, rummaging through the spoils of their recent successes, pulling at things like hyenas, tossing away what they don't want," he said. "I once called 911 because they were breaking into a car.

"After two hours of no police response, I went to bed."

The 36-year-old says that since a McDonald's restaurant opened in 2002 at the corner of Mackay and Ste. Catherine Sts., the area has become so dangerous that his girlfriend travels by taxi the few blocks between home and work, out of fear of being assaulted.

There is, he says, a gang of boys and young men, about 14 to 20 years old, who have claimed the restaurant as their base and are ruling with impunity.

Last Sunday morning, Myles Harrison, 20, and his girlfriend, Vanessa Payne, were attacked in the McDonald's after Harrison intervened when a stranger began harassing Payne. Harrison was knocked to the ground, and Payne's wallet stolen.

Once the couple got outside -with the help of another customer and the restaurant's security guard -the two went to police officers sitting in cruisers nearby. But Harrison said that instead of helping him, police hit him with their night sticks and told them to leave the area.

McDonald's spokesman Jason Patuano said since the restaurant is located in an area where there is a lot of nightlife, things are bound to happen. Staff are instructed to call police when there's an incident inside, which they did when Harrison and Payne were attacked.

"Our main preoccupation is the safety of our employees and customers and for now, a lot of (this violence) is happening outside (the restaurant)," he said, adding the restaurant has had a security guard on duty every weekend since it opened.

Any talk of a gang using the restaurant as a base is "pure speculation," he said.

But there seems to be a pattern in the crimes and how they are committed. Last year, the Gazette wrote about an 18-year-old Dawson College student was slapped around, then had his wallet and cellphone stolen at the same location. A friend who came to his rescue was knocked down and had his phone taken as well. They reported the same modus operandi: one person creates a distraction, then a group attacks and robs.

Around the same time, Diane O'Neill's 18-year-old son, Matthew, was also attacked in the same McDonald's. One man asked him for the time, then two others grabbed him from behind and stole his wallet. O'Neill approached The Gazette with her story this week following reports of Harrison's ordeal.

"He ran to a police cruiser that was passing by," O'Neill said. "The police rolled down their window, but they didn't even ask if he was all right, they didn't even go in the direction of the guys who had just stolen the wallet."

Matthew headed for his car, bruised and battered, to find a parking ticket on the windshield.

Roy-Laliberte, who says he's seen hundreds of incidents over the last eight years ranging from aggressive sexual slurs to theft of phones and wallets, says he's not surprised police didn't help Payne and Harrison and others.

He said that when he spoke about the problem to friends who are police officers, they responded with a laugh.

"They feel like it's a lost cause with these kids," Roy-Laliberte said. "They chase them, book them and these kids get out five minutes later.

"It's not worth the paperwork for the police."

Montreal police confirmed the corner "is a well-known area" because when the clubs in the area close, patrons, who are often intoxicated, spill out on the street.

"But we always respond to these calls because it could end in a homicide," said police spokesman Sgt. Ian Lafreniere. "This is our job, we have to do that."

When told of the lack of response to Roy-Laliberte's calls, Lafreniere said that often when police arrive, the assailants and victims have already left.

"Or, just because you don't see a police car, doesn't mean we haven't responded," he said.

Lafreniere said they've taken "different approaches" with 24-hour restaurants, such as McDonald's, to get them to close earlier. He refused to elaborate.

McDonald's Patuano said as far as he knows, there's been no suggestion of an earlier closing time for the restaurant.

Roy-Laliberte, who has a security and promotions company, estimates he's called 911 between 30 and 50 times, but since police rarely respond, he's given up.

"The (gang) hunts in packs, starts fights, and robs people as they walk by," he said. "I've seen it, downtown sees it, and yes, the police see it.

"The bottom line is nothing is being done and it's just getting worse."

http://www.montrealgazette.com/Crime+plagues+area+around+McDonald/4112680/story.html
 

wasisname

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Nov 12, 2007
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If the cops won't do anything about it, you should be allowed to shoot them yourself. At the very least I don't see an ethical problem with cleaning out the gene pool.
 

CWipes

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Mar 31, 2006
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While Vigilante justice does initally sound appealing, I think it's a short term solution.

Although I don't have a viable alternative solution at the moment, how about setting up a web cam or just a video camera of the corner in question.

Certainly this Mc Donalds has some kind of video monitoring already?

- CWipes
 

st-cum

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Feb 4, 2010
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There are plenty of alternative places to eat in the area during normal business hours. Even overnight reasonable alternatives are not too far away. It is nevertheless disheartening to read news like this. During the daytime it is difficult to say that it is a dangerous area. The closest police station I believe is on Guy south of Rene-Levesque (Maritime Plaza Hotel) so the fact that this is happening so close to a cop shop is really astounding.
 

evillethings

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Dec 29, 2010
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Thanks for posting this Doc.

If my face isn't buried on work, client dinners/drinks, it's in a soft set of A's, B's, C's... haha
So I don't think I wouldve tuned into this issue even though I've actually been hitting that spot for early AM. It's because that Micky D's looks so ripe for a fight that i'll try to wrap up my sessions before 00h30 and head to the la Belle Province a couple of door down...

Cheers Doc!
 

Doc Holliday

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Sep 27, 2003
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But if the cops and the courts do nothing, there is no other solution. It is vigilante or bend over like a little bitch.

Or simply not to hang around that area & go eat elsewhere. McDonald's is crap anyways. Go to Harvey's if you want to eat a great burger!
 

TheDon

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Jun 21, 2003
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Just stay away from Mc Do late at night unless your in a big group.

There's always La Belle and Kojax 1 and 2 blocks away.

I remember when the Burger King was still open on St Catherine/Cresent. They had the same problem late at night and that spot was just trouble. But back then I was young and we loved walking into trouble. Now that I'm older I just walk the other way from trouble.
 

CWipes

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Mar 31, 2006
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During the day this place seems normal.

There are also cameras under the overhang, and 2 cameras pointing each direction down the street. It's hard to believe that they don't catch the goings on outside unless the cameras are not functioning properly.

- CWipes
 
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