Standing up to dealers

The young man stood defiantly across the counter from Sunoco A-Plus nightshift worker Ibrahim Shabazz.

Shabazz recognized the man as a drug dealer who had done business in the store’s parking lot and demanded that he leave. If he didn’t, Shabazz said, he would call the cops.

The man didn’t move, forcing Shabazz to make good on his promise.

Moments later, when police arrived, the dealer bolted, said Shabazz.

"They know what they’re doing is wrong but they want to keep testing, keep pushing [me]," he said.

Shabazz and A-Plus owner Joseph Perumaly have plenty of stories like that one. From 1 to 4 a.m., they say, the gas station and mini-mart is a haven for drug activity. Sellers and buyers show up at the corner lot on Broad and Catharine streets on foot or bikes or in cars, said the men.

A former computer programmer, Perumaly bought the 24-hour business in April and hired Shabazz to work the 11 p.m. to 7 a.m. shift.

Perumaly, an Indian immigrant, said he never expected such problems at the store, just eight blocks south of City Hall.

Shabazz has called 911 many times, but his boss, who does not work at night, isn’t so eager to phone for help.

"I never called police because I cannot prove [drug activity]. I have no evidence," Perumaly said.

Shabazz said he finds the illegal activity "annoying."

"They are causing a nuisance on my post and it’s against the law," he said.

Narcotics Field Unit South Lt. Tom Wixted said his unit has received no complaints of drug activity on the lot since January 2000.

"There are complaints of drug activity in the area, but not that particular location," he said.

IN AN EFFORT to raise awareness in the community and let drug dealers know they are unwelcome, anti-drug groups held a rally at the Sunoco A-Plus on July 8. Police officials also attended, and promised to follow up with more patrols and support for the owner.

Transit Crime Watch, an official city Town Watch organization that patrols subways and is headed by former Guardian Angel Greg Bucceroni, organized the event at the request of Sunoco’s regional manager after Perumaly voiced complaints.

Transit Crime Watch member Francisco Rivera, who lost his brother to AIDS through intravenous drug use, also attended the rally. A former Guardian Angel from North Philly, Rivera is a block captain who organized a neighborhood Town Watch called Sentinel Street Patrol.

Mantua Against Drugs Executive Director C.B. Kimmins and several members of his organization lent support as well.

"We believe that [Perumaly] deserves every opportunity to come to this country and make a living like everybody else. He shouldn’t have to worry about being robbed or his customers being robbed or drug dealers trying to sell to his customers," said Kimmins.

Mantua Against Drugs is a high-profile anti-drug and violence initiative whose members attend rallies and demonstrations across the city.

"Our mission is to reduce drug sales in the city because drugs are responsible for a lot of crime," said Mantua Against Drugs member Linda Henson, a former city resident who now lives in South Jersey.

At the Friday-night rally, Bucceroni and his supporters did not carry signs or bullhorns. Instead, they sent a message of quiet unity by simply sitting or standing outside the station.

"That’s what we do. We’re a presence and we educate people. Our thing is to network, give the resources and moral support [to the community] so we can make a difference," Bucceroni said.

Sam Porter has lived at 17th and Fitzwater streets for almost 25 years and is a longtime member of Mantua Against Drugs and the South of South Neighborhood Association. He said the A-Plus has had a history of drug crime.

"Before this guy took over, there was a lot more drug traffic," Porter said, referring to Perumaly.

The merchant believes previous problems were aggravated by other owners stocking items that could be used as drug paraphernalia, such as glass vials containing a rose, known on the street as "roses" that crack addicts could use to smoke the drug.

After he learned about the connection, Perumaly rid the store of any such items, including materials that could be used as rolling papers.

DESPITE SUCH MEASURES, buyers and sellers still frequent the store, Perumaly said. They often purchase a 50-cent snack for change, then buy drugs in the lot, said the owner and Shabazz. The night worker said he’s even seen deals go down in the store’s back aisle.

Charles Taylor, who has lived on the 2200 block of Christian Street for the last two decades and frequents the Sunoco station, said he’s also witnessed transactions on the lot. But the problem is not contained to the convenience store, he said.

"It’s a problem area and it’s getting worse – especially at night," he said.

In an attempt to cut off access to drug dealers and buyers, Perumaly last month decided to lock his doors from midnight to 5 a.m., offering customer service through a side window. Closing his doors has cost the owner 30 percent of his business, he said, but added, "I don’t care. I don’t want these kind of people in my store."

Perumaly also removed six payphones outside the station.

"The crackheads would go to the phone booths, call their dealer and meet them on the lot," Shabazz said.

Deputy Commissioner Patricia Giorgio-Fox, along with South Police Division Inspector Steve Johnson and Third District Capt. Mike Weaver, attended the July 8 rally at the A-Plus.

Weaver said he would station a uniformed officer on the corner of Broad and Catharine "to discourage any narcotics activity." The captain also planned to send the district’s crime prevention officer to survey the store and provide Perumaly with tips on maximizing safety.

"I have every confidence that they will be able to satisfy the Sunoco station and get things under control here," said Giorgio-Fox.