Another day, another blue city showing Americans that it is high time they tail it out of the big, blue cities before it is too late or face the consequences of living in a drug-ridden hellscape full of violent crime, high taxes, and more violent crime. That city is Philadelphia, where a cheesesteak restaurant had to bring in heavily armed security more substantial than that seen at most banks as violence spikes.
That restaurant is the original Jim’s West Steaks & Hoagies in West Philadelphia. It is back in business after being closed for a spell, and excited customers formed a line stretching around the building. But it was no ordinary scene at a popular eatery, as armed guards stood in as paladins of the fast food joint, protecting it and its customers from the violent criminals that have overrun much of the city.
Those members of the armed security detail will be there from Thursday through Sunday each week, so long as the restaurant can afford their presence and that presence is necessary, to protect the re-opened eatery and make sure its customers are safe.
And those customers are excited that the original Jim’s West Steaks & Hoagies is open again. Local station WPVI reports one West Philadelphia resident said, “I’m so excited. The food has always been good.” Another West Philadelphia resident added, “In my opinion, it’s the best cheesesteak in town.”
Co-owner Cortez Johnson, explaining why the heavily armed security detail is necessary, told WPVI, “The violence has spiked. It goes up and down. You want people to feel safe and be safe. So when they come out and eat, they don’t have to worry about no type of harm.”
Similarly, Saul Landers, the CFO of Jim’s West, noted that the long lines stretch outside, and thus are more vulnerable to criminal predation and so make the armed security necessary. As Landers put it, “Our lines are down the block, so while you’re standing here in line, connecting with other people you may not know, we have security right here just to keep you guys safe.”
Continuing, Landers added that spending the extra money is worth it to him if the customers are kept safe, saying, “If you want to secure your business and you want to make sure everyone is safe, you have to spend that extra money.”
Kevon Darden, who owns Presidential Protection Services, highlighted the training of the security guards his company provides, saying, “It’s not just myself. It’s usually other agents who are sworn and certified by the state of Pennsylvania to do security work when they’re off duty. All of us are former military, police, and law enforcement background.”
Customers seemed to largely understand the security measures being taken, even if they weren’t overly comfortable around men with AR-15-style rifles standing around. One West Philadelphia patron of the restaurant, for example, said, “If it deters it (crime), I can’t complain. I’m not a big fan of guns, but I get it.”
Featured image credit: screengrab from the embedded video
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