To begin our series on local motels/hotels, WBON TV spoke with Richmond City Commissioner Jason Morgan regarding his open records request with the city involving the large amount of overdoses and crime which seems to occur at certain areas around town. In Part One, Morgan explains that this has been an identifiable problem for years, and that he can name five areas off the top of his head that are a haven for crime in Richmond. Moving forward, Morgan says that a new ordinance, which seems to be the first of its kind in the Commonwealth, would hopefully address the issue by fining a hotel owner if a certain amount of calls are made to the business.
Morgan goes on to tell us that he has spoken with attorneys, and that because of nuances with state and city ordinances, it is hard to shut these facilities down even when they seem to be in direct violation with code enforcement and abiding by the law.
Continue to watch for this series, in which Marisa Hempel will go on to interview city officials, business owners, EMS, and police.
