| August 13, 2006 Dear Fellow Bluff Park Residents and Business Owners:
On August 12th, the Piggly Wiggly (at Shades Mountain Plaza) and several patrons were victims of a strong arm robbery at approximately 9:15 AM. The suspect(s) brazenly pointed a pistol to the head of an employee and forced other employees to open the safe. The suspect(s) escaped the scene with an untold amount of cash. They were seen by others leaving the rear of the parking lot in a late model Ford Crown Victoria or Mercury Grand Marquis; silver in color.
I, as well as my 4yr old son, was shopping in the store at the time of the incident. To say the least, the incident was unnerving. Thanks to the very cool-headed actions of the employees of the Piggly Wiggly, the robbery occurred without incident.
If you've lived in Bluff Park in the past year, you are probably aware of the number of other robberies and burglaries. Several have occurred in this same shopping center as well as other retail and commercial businesses we all shop in with our families each day. The robbery of the Piggly Wiggly on 8/12 was particularly aggressive given the nature of the act and timing of the day.
As a resident of Bluff Park, I am determined to stop any future such incidents. I hope you are as well. I'm seeking your support of two separate efforts:
- Establishment of a Hoover Police Department substation in the Shades Mountain Plaza
- Organization of a Community Watch program supported by the Hoover Police Department
Please take a moment to contact our city council persons and voice your support of a substation. Below is a list of their names. Their respective office phones can be reached at 444-7500.
- Gary M. Ivey
- Trey D. Lott
- Gene Smith
- Mari Morrison
- Jack Wright
- Brian Skelton
- Mike G. Natter
All Council members serve on an "at-large" basis, so it's critical to contact each Council member directly. If unable to reach them directly when contacting by phone, be sure to leave a detailed message advising:
- specific concern of the Aug 12th robbery of the Piggly Wiggly in Bluff Park
- need to establish a police substation in Shades Mountain Plaza
- your name and phone number
- request a return call acknowledging your concern
Likewise, I will be circulating a petition to formally state our community's support of the substation.
I would very much like to hear from you regarding this matter or other criminal activity. Moreover, I would like to ask your support as we work to develop a Community Watch program in conjunction with the Hoover Police Department. I can be reached by phone at the following numbers:
Home: 979-7406 Cell: 256-509-4786
Our families' and community's safety is at risk. Thank you for taking time to address this very critical issue.
Sincerely,
Ben Shelton
sheltonfamily1997@charter.net
For a Adobe Acrobat copy of this letter, click here. If you need Adobe Acrobat Reader (free), click here.
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