In the annals of bad timing, the letter from the City of Cleveland to the Cocktail Lounge, a gay 
bar, earns a special place. In the letter, the city complained that the police visited the bar nine times over the course of a year. Of course, the last time the cops were there it was because a mob of 20 teenagers went on a rampage outside the bar, gaybashing Jared Fox. The letter was dated five days after the attack.
“Repeated calls to the same property place an undue and inappropriate burden on the taxpayers of the City of Cleveland and on our safety forces,” wrote Martin Flask, director of Public Safety. “Therefore, within 10 days of the date of this letter, you will be required to submit your action plan to the First District Neighborhood Police Commander…, outlining your strategy to eliminate the problems at this location.”
After an all-too-appropriate backlash, Flask has rescinded the letter and called it “unfortunate,” which is PR for “embarrassingly stupid.” However, Flask contends that the calls had nothing to do with hate crimes, but were instead related to “fights, disturbances and robbery.”
Ric Scardino, a friend of bar owner Brian Lyons, told the Huffington Post that the problem wasn’t the calls. The problem was the ongoing crime that prompted them. “All those calls they [city officials] were talking about weren’t for the bar,” Scardino said. “They were things happening outside of the bar. …It’s not a bar issue, it’s a city issue.”
How about we take this to the next level?
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Caleb in SC
Here’s the action plan: Police do your freaking job and put the criminals disturbing the neighborhood behind bars.
Mr. E. Jones
@Caleb in SC:
Agreed. Cops are always complaining that they would rather be out fighting “real crime.” But when confronted with real crimes, they make up more excuses. Cops just don’t want to do their jobs. They want a secure job, good pay, and a sweet pension when they retire after 20 years of work.
Here’s another action plan–patrons carry guns. Fire a warning shot into the air. If that doesn’t work, fire a shot into the criminals chest.
Matt G
Maybe just keep an officer stationed there on busy nights? I go out a lot in the midwest and I’m used to having cops around the larger bars/clubs that are standalone or some police presence in going-out type places. It’s actually a time when I think police are best used- by being there, people mind their P’s and Q’s.
Although really…. 9 times in a year? and they have to do some kind of report as punishment? WTF do they pay taxes for?
the other Greg
Ironically, you can’t even say “c0cktail” on Queerty comments w/o doctoring it, it’s censored.
Stache1
@Matt G: Great point. Any city that I’ve been in there’s always been a police presence in the bar hours. Just where you can expect more late night shenanigans to happen.
Polaro
“To serve and protect” when convenient and not too often. But, lets face it, Cleveland sucks.
SICK OF THEM
Disgusting pigs. They should all be fried like jodi arias.
And SUBHUMAN bisexual DEVIANTS.