Metro Business Owner Uses Homeless Helpers As Security

<p>A metro business is upset at the City after losing the best alarm he&rsquo;s ever had: two homeless people.&nbsp;</p>

Monday, June 4th 2018, 7:04 pm

By: Karl Torp


A metro business is upset at the City after losing the best alarm he’s ever had: two homeless people.

Mark Kwitowski, the owner of Industrial Signs and Neon at South Villa and Reno, said his security alarm was constantly sounding.

“We’d got call all hours of the night. It was ridiculous,” said Kwitowski.

Nine months ago, that changed when a homeless man told him he’d watch the place if he could live behind the shop in a shed.

“It was like a breath of fresh air,” said Kwitowski because he’s alarms system didn’t sound in that time.

One homeless man named Brian lived in a shed behind the shop and a homeless woman named Frances lived in a camper top next door.

Acting on a complaint late last week, Code Enforcement told Kwitowski the homeless people would have to leave, and the camper and shed would have to go as well.

“I think they have gone too far with this,” said Kwitowski, who added that two kept the area clean and mowed the grass behind his shop.

City Hall says it can’t make an exception in the case and the property is zone industrial. 

Even though Kwitowski said he had an agreement with the homeless helpers that nobody else could stay on his property, Code Enforcement says its seen situations like this turn into homeless camps.

“They will go out of their way to protect the investment they have with the property owner,” said Kwitowski who is cooperating with the City’s demands.

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