CAMDEN (July 14, 2004): A
complaint by a local hotel owner about a loud group of teenagers and young
adults in the downtown corner parking lot on Mechanic Street Wednesday night
escalated into trouble for the 50-year-old man, not the kids.
Camden Police Chief Phil Roberts said that at around 8:40 p.m. last
Wednesday, downtown resident David Dickey, also the owner of the Camden
Riverhouse Hotel on Tannery Lane, called and complained about disruptive
activities at the public parking lot. Officers responded and in the course of working out the situation, which
included getting the juveniles to agree to leave, Dickey's alleged loud and
vulgar language at the scene resulted in a summons for disorderly conduct.
Roberts said a short time later, at around 11:10 p.m., police received a
complaint from a different person that the words "Loser Lot" had been
spray painted onto the pavement in the back corner of the parking lot.
"As a result of our investigation, Mr. Dickey was also issued a summons
for criminal mischief," Roberts said, adding that the Camden Public Works
Department was called to remove the spray-painted graffiti but remnants remain.
The parking lot is a popular hang-out spot for local youth. It has been a
consistent source of strife for police and the community as they continue to
attempt to weigh the need for a safe place for young adults to hang out that's
accessible but doesn't hinder public acces