The owner of the problem-plagued Greenwich Village McDonald’s met last night with police brass and political reps to hash out plans to improve safety and security, The Post has learned.
Some of the ideas floated were the hiring of off-duty NYPD officers to act as guards, giving police remote Internet access to the eatery’s surveillance cameras, and cordoning off seating after a certain hour to prevent customers from lingering, Deputy Inspector Brandon del Pozo of the Sixth Precinct told concerned residents at a community meeting.
“Every business has a hand in the quality of life inside and outside their door,” said Del Pozo.
Del Pozo attended the closed-door sit-down with franchise owner Carmen Paulino and representatives from the offices of City Council Speaker Christine Quinn, Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer and Assemblywoman Deborah Glick, as well as members of Community Board 2.
Earlier in the week, Quinn had called on her constituents to boycott the troubled McDonald’s.
“What we’re trying to convince McDonald’s to do, and what I think they’ve been receptive to, is treating their McDonald’s as if it were a bar past a certain hour of the night,” said del Pozo.
“What they’re getting is every negative aspect of having to deal with policing a bar without the high profit margin of actually selling alcohol.”
A brutal, booze-fueled St. Patrick’s Day fight recorded outside the fast food joint and uploaded to YouTube once again highlighted the violence that residents say has become commonplace at the West Third Street location.
No assault charges were filed, and, therefore, no suspects are being sought, del Pozo said.
“The safety of my employees and customers will always be my first priority. I am committed to doing the right thing,” said Paulino, adding that she had reached out to the NYPD paid detail to “explore options.”
In October, cashier Rayon McIntosh pummeled two women with a metal rod after they allegedly hopped the counter to attack him. Rayon, a manslaughter parolee, was cleared after a grand jury found he acted in self-defense. The women, however, were indicted on burglary charges.
And, last March, gay patron Damian Furtch, 26, was jumped outside the eatery by Anthony Bray, 21, over a matter of “disrespect,” police sources previously told The Post.