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Letters

Convenience we can't afford

Dear Editor,

I am very concerned about the negative impact a 24-hour, 7-Eleven convenience store will have in our neighborhood. Please consider the following:

• Pleasanton's leaders have worked hard to retain a unique downtown atmosphere;

• Selling alcohol drives profits for many 7-Elevens; even though this application does not seek an alcohol permit, it would be easy to seek such a permit after the fact, once the store is placed;

• The downtown area does not need another place to buy liquor; there are more than enough already in this condensed geographic area;

• Downtown Pleasanton does not need a national, 24-hour franchise to take business away from locally owned, non-franchise businesses -- Cole's and Meadowlark Drive-Thru Dairy are two examples; and

• Research indicates a higher crime rate for 24-hour stores. The Department of Justice drafted a report as a guide for police officers on how to deal with this specific problem. The report, Robbery of Convenience Stores, highlights the reasons why those of us living in this area should strongly object to this development project.

The report suggests the following:

• Convenience store robberies warrant special attention because they have special characteristics;

• Repeat victimization occurs due to low security and small staff;

• Factors contributing to crime include stores operating 24-hours a day;

• Parking lots increase chances for crime;

• Stand-alone structures, such as this store, are subject to an increase in robberies;

• Like most robbers in general, convenience store robbers are males (95%) and under the age of 25; and

• Offenders commonly use guns in convenience stores robberies.

Tracy Dunne