MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Memphis Police and the Shelby County District Attorney’s Office announced Thursday a midtown gas station has been shut down as a public nuisance.
“We actually provided a notice to Snappy Mart over a year ago, asking them to clean up their act; they failed to do so. We’ve had no choice but to take an action,” said DA Steve Mulroy.
The Snappy Mart in the 1300 block of Madison Ave. at Cleveland was shut down Dec. 7, 2023, after an investigation by MPD.
The D.A.’s office said an “extensive investigation” showed there were many crimes at or near the store, including drug sales, public disturbances, robberies, domestic assaults and other violent crimes.
“A citizen could literally walk around and see crack cocaine being smoked every ten minutes,” said Thomas Hewgley, a nearby business owner.
Hewgley was one of several nearby business owners to partner together to communicate the issues they saw at Snappy Mart.
“We want to make sure that breeding grounds such as this don’t exist in our city,” said Memphis Police Chief CJ Davis.
MPD’s Organized Crime Unit concluded an 18-month investigation in October 2023. They said data showed more than 611 calls to the store in a two-year period, from October 2021 to October 2023. Calls about crime included aggravated robbery, burglary, prostitution and drug activity. Investigators said in that two-year timeframe, more than 81 arrests were made.
While some people like Hewgley told ABC24 this closure was a step in the right direction, others like George Norton are concerned about the ramifications. Norton worries this closure could limit the options some neighbors have for food.
“I hate to see that. That’s a less location for Memphis to go,” said Norton.
Annie Phillips Yates, who has run the nearby clothing store 'The Bazaar' for around five and a half years, hopes to see something reopen in the gas station's location in the future.
“One closes, and it brings a mindset that maybe this is not the place for anybody to be," said Yates.
The store could potentially reopen if an agreement is met. The D.A. said the owners are due in court Dec. 12. Mulroy said potential improvements include new security, lights and linking the gas station's cameras to MPD's Real Time Crime Center.
“Our office is committed to pursuing closures of businesses that disrupt communities and serve as breeding grounds for crime,” said Mulroy in a news release. “I commend the work of MPD and their thorough investigation that led to the closure of Snappy Mart.”
The D.A.’s office also said there could be more nuisance closures in the coming months as MPD continues to investigate.