Stockton business owner wants electric fence after multiple vandalisms

TO PREVENT MORE CRIME. KAY: SURVEILLANCE FOOTAGE SHARED -- SHARED WITH KCRA 3 THIS MAN NOT ONLY TRESPASSES ONTO THE BATH SUPPLY PROPERTY IN STOCKTON, HE MAKES HIMSELF A FORT AMID A PILE OF GRANITE AND STONE COUNTERTOPS. OFF COUNTER, AND EXPLICITLY POURED USED MOTOR OIL ON HIMSELF AND THE MERCHANDISE. $6,000 DAMAGE AND THIS IS NOT THE FIRST TIME, IT’S THE THIRD TIME. WE HAVE CALLED POLICE MULTIPLE TIMES. KAY: ON BEHAVIOR, WHICH THE PROPERTY STORE OWNER SAYS IS ONE OF MANY ISSUES HE HAS HAD OVER THE YEARS. >> THE HOMELESS WILL HOP THE FENCE AND HAVE THE FENCE OPEN. THEY WILL TRY TO STILL A BATTERY. KAY: HE HAS ALREADY FIX THE FENCE, INSTALLED SECURITY CAMERAS AND PUT UP WARNING SIGNS. >> IF I GET THE FENCE, ELECTRIC FENCES, THAT’S IT. NOT EVEN ASKING FOR THE CITY TO PAY FOR THE FENCE. >> HOWEVER, GETTING THE ELECTRIC FIT STANCH FENCE HAS NOT BEEN QUICKER SIMPLE. HIS REQUESTS HAVE BEEN DENIED. >> I SHOULD NOT HAVE TO DEAL WITH THIS. IT’S SOMETHING THE CITY SHOULD HAVE TAKEN CARE OF THE FIRST TIME. KAY: ELECTRIC FENCES ARE ALLOWED IN OTHER PARTS OF STOCKTON. >> IS NOT LIKE YOU WILL TOUCH IT AND DIE. IT’S A TRICKLE. AS I COULD TICKLE. LIKE WHEN YOU TOUCH AN OUTLET ON THE WALL. KAY: THE PROPERTY IS NOT IN A ZONE THAT ALLOWS FOR ELECTRIFIED FENCING. >> I ASKED TO CHANGE THE ZONE AND THEY GAVE ME THE RUNAROUND. KAY: THEY CAN FILE A REQUEST, SONY NEEDS TO BE CONSISTENT WITH THE GENERAL PLAN. HE SAYS HE IS AT HIS WITS END. >> I’M NOT GOING TO KEEP FIGHTING THE CITY. I HAVE A BUSINESS TO RUN. I HAVE LOST OVER $40,000 BECAUSE OF STUFF DEALING WITH THE

Advertisement

Stockton business owner wants electric fence after multiple vandalisms

Dennis Almeida at odds with City of Stockton, who he says denied his requests

Share

• Copy Link

A business owner fed up with vandalism, break-ins, and theft said he has a simple fix: an electric fence. What's stopping him? He said the City of Stockton.Dennis Almeida said his solution has not been easy to come by as the city has denied his multiple requests to install the fencing. He's not without hard evidence of crimes happening on his property. In one surveillance video Almeida shared with KCRA 3, a man is seen trespassing onto the D & M Kitchen and Bath Supply Inc. property on MLK Boulevard in Stockton. He made himself a fort amid a pile of granite and stone slabs. Off-camera, the man inexplicably poured used motor oil on himself and on the pricey merchandise. This incident cost Almeida around $6,000, he said. But this is not the first time he's dealt with this, nor is this the first time he's called police about it. This odd behavior is just one of many issues he said he has had over the years. "The homeless will hop the fence or they'll take the wrought iron. They'll bend the fence open, and then they'll come in and what they'll do is they'll mess with the trucks," Almeida said. "They'll try to steal the battery."The store owner has since fixed the wrought iron fence, installed security cameras and put up warning signs. But he insists that one easy fix -- a permit for electric fencing will help solve his problems."If I get the fence, electric fence is done, that's it. I'm not even asking for the city to pay for the fence," Almeida said.However, getting the electric fence has proven to be a staggering and complex process. Almeida said his multiple requests over the past six months have been denied. To Almeida's frustration, electric fences are allowed in other parts of Stockton."It's not like you're going to touch it and you're going to die. It's a tickle, more like a tickle, like you touch a 110 outlet on a wall," he said.The City of Stockton told KCRA 3, "The property is not in a zone that allows for electrified fencing.""So I said, 'Why can't we change the zone?' And they're just giving me the runaround," Almeida said. The city said Almeida can file a request with the Community Development Department, and that zoning needs to be consistent with city guidelines. Almeida said he's at his wit's end, saying he's lost over $40,000 from damages."I have a business to run," Almeida said.

A business owner fed up with vandalism, break-ins, and theft said he has a simple fix: an electric fence. What's stopping him? He said the City of Stockton.

Dennis Almeida said his solution has not been easy to come by as the city has denied his multiple requests to install the fencing.

Advertisement

He's not without hard evidence of crimes happening on his property. In one surveillance video Almeida shared with KCRA 3, a man is seen trespassing onto the D & M Kitchen and Bath Supply Inc. property on MLK Boulevard in Stockton. He made himself a fort amid a pile of granite and stone slabs. Off-camera, the man inexplicably poured used motor oil on himself and on the pricey merchandise.

This incident cost Almeida around $6,000, he said. But this is not the first time he's dealt with this, nor is this the first time he's called police about it.

This odd behavior is just one of many issues he said he has had over the years.

"The homeless will hop the fence or they'll take the wrought iron. They'll bend the fence open, and then they'll come in and what they'll do is they'll mess with the trucks," Almeida said. "They'll try to steal the battery."

The store owner has since fixed the wrought iron fence, installed security cameras and put up warning signs. But he insists that one easy fix -- a permit for electric fencing will help solve his problems.

"If I get the fence, electric fence is done, that's it. I'm not even asking for the city to pay for the fence," Almeida said.

However, getting the electric fence has proven to be a staggering and complex process. Almeida said his multiple requests over the past six months have been denied.

To Almeida's frustration, electric fences are allowed in other parts of Stockton.

"It's not like you're going to touch it and you're going to die. It's a tickle, more like a tickle, like you touch a 110 outlet on a wall," he said.

The City of Stockton told KCRA 3, "The property is not in a zone that allows for electrified fencing."

"So I said, 'Why can't we change the zone?' And they're just giving me the runaround," Almeida said.

The city said Almeida can file a request with the Community Development Department, and that zoning needs to be consistent with city guidelines.

Almeida said he's at his wit's end, saying he's lost over $40,000 from damages.

"I have a business to run," Almeida said.