POLICE PADLOCK M.L. KING BAR

Chattanooga police officers padlocked Big D's bar at the corner of Foster
Street and M.L. King Boulevard Tuesday morning, calling the establishment a
public nuisance and citing a number of assaults and drug arrests there in
the past five years.

"There's been a tremendous problem here for patrol officers," said Sgt.
Bobby Simpson of the department's civil enforcement unit. "It's an open-air
drug market, there's gambling going on and the problems are only escalating."

Richard Davis, owner of Big D's, said the police are treating him unfairly.

"Nothing happens inside the business," said Mr. Davis, who has leased the
property for about five years. "It's all out here in the parking lot. I
can't control what happens out here. I'll let the police take care of what
happens out here."

Over the last two years police have padlocked about a dozen businesses as
public nuisances, Sgt. Simpson said. He has gathered crime statistics on
those businesses and taken them to the Hamilton County district attorney,
who decides whether charges will be pressed against the owners.

Sgt. Simpson said the businesses that have been padlocked did not cooperate
with police to try and reduce crime on the premises.

According to police, Big D's has been the site of 39 drug arrests, 15
aggravated assaults, seven robberies and eight beer board violations since
1996.

Andrew Jackson Jr. owns the property at 400 M.L. King Blvd. where Big D's
is located. He said he supported the padlocking of the business.

"If what the police are saying is true, I think this is the right move," he
said. "Illegal activity wherever it's going on should be sought out and the
people should be stopped from doing it."

At least four of the businesses padlocked in the last two years -- the
Oasis, R.L. Confectionery, the Whole Note and now Big D's -- have been
black-owned and located on M.L. King Boulevard.

"A nuisance is a nuisance, no matter what color it is," said City
Councilman Leamon Pierce, who represents the district. "I think sometimes
too much is made of this black-white thing."

Police said they believe the padlockings have helped remedy some bad
situations. Sgt. Simpson said many of the padlocked businesses have
reopened and reports of crime have dropped at those locations. He said
Homer's at Dodson Avenue and Milne Street, which had been a problem site
for assaults, is a good example of that.

"We're not getting constant reports from Erlanger (hospital)," he said.
"We've accomplished a big goal."