JACKSONVILLE, Fla. \u2014 A Lackawanna neighborhood bar has been forced to shut its doors following a weekend undercover sting prompted by months of neighborhood complaints. <\/p>\n
Tipsy\u2019s, a local establishment long plagued by allegations of misconduct, was slapped with a cease-and-desist order and a stop-work order following a multi-agency raid on Saturday. Visitors to the property on Monday were greeted by locked doors, broken windows, and city closure notices posted on the building. <\/p>\n
The Jacksonville Sheriff\u2019s Office (JSO) spearheaded the operation alongside several regulatory agencies. According to investigators, the joint task force uncovered a list of severe safety and legal infractions inside the establishment. <\/p>\n
The Jacksonville Fire Marshal cited the business for multiple hazardous conditions, including unsafe electrical wiring, overcrowding, and various structural code violations. <\/p>\n
Investigators caught three separate employees selling alcohol past Florida\u2019s legal 2 a.m. cutoff time. <\/p>\n
\u201cAs a result of that, we ended up writing several of the employees notices to appear,\u201d said JSO Spokesperson Christian Hancock. \u201cIn lieu of taking them to jail that night, we just wrote them a notice to appear, which is a citation.\u201d <\/p>\n
Hancock added that the weekend enforcement action was the culmination of months of community frustration. Law enforcement had responded to repeated calls for service at the address. At least two shootings have happened at or near the area within the past few months. Residents have raised alarms over underage drinking, late-night alcohol sales, and recurring violence. <\/p>\n
For employees and owners at neighboring businesses, the closure is a long-overdue relief. Many stated that the problems tied to the bar have degraded the surrounding area for years. <\/p>\n
\u201cIf there\u2019s a cease and desist for business there, I think that should have happened a long time ago,\u201d said one nearby employee, who asked to remain anonymous. <\/p>\n
The employee described a weekly routine of cleaning up hazardous debris left behind by the bar\u2019s clientele. <\/p>\n
\u201cEvery Monday morning we come to work, there\u2019s always broken bottles on the outside of the fence,\u201d the worker said. \u201cThere\u2019s food boxes. I\u2019ve picked up needles in front of the front gate.\u201d <\/p>\n
While the long-term future of Tipsy\u2019s remains unclear, the immediate shutdown. <\/p>\n
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