Elected Officials Ask Police Commissioner for Padlock Hearing

Baltimore City Councilwoman Mary Pat Clarke and state Del. Mary Washington are sending a letter to Baltimore City police Commissioner Frederick Bealefeld asking him to hold a hearing that could result in closing the Yau Bros. Carryout on Greemount Avenue.

Both Clarke and Washington confirmed they are sending the letter and expressed frustration with repeated occurrences of violent crime at the carryout.

The carryout, located at 2901 Greenmount Ave., has been the scene of several shootings and murders in recent years. Most recently, 52-year-old Freddie Jones Jr. was gunned down on Oct. 31.

Since then with Freddie Jones’ murder after police said the teenager confessed to the killing. 

Following a nuisance abatement hearing— sometimes referred to as a “padlock hearing”—the commissioner has the power to close a business for up to a year if he believes an establishment represents a threat to the community.

Washington said she is looking for the owner of the carryout to step up and take more responsibility for what has happened at the restaurant, and add security. She said that currentlty city residents are subsidizing the business' security because police are either parked outside or checking in hourly at Yau Bros.

“Everybody’s glad he has a . But clearly the video camera is not a deterrent,” Washington said regarding the restaurant's current security system.

Efforts by Patch to contact the owner of the carryout were unsuccessful. The store was closed on Friday afternoon. Electronic state property records list the restaurant's address as the owner’s mailing address.  

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