The Convenience Business Security Act requires that certain security devices and standards be established at all convenience businesses open any time between 11 p.m. and 5 a.m. The Act, which is contained in sections 812.1701-812.175, Florida Statutes, places enforcement authority within the Office of the Attorney General. Violations of the law may result in civil penalties of up to $5,000.00.

Under the Act, a convenience business is defined as one that:

Is primarily engaged in the sale of groceries, or both groceries and gasoline; and
Is open for business during any hours between 11 p.m. and 5 a.m.

Excluded from the Act are businesses that:

Are solely or primarily in the restaurant business; or
Have five or more employees on the premises between the hours of 11 p.m. and 5 a.m.; or
Have more than 10,000 square feet of retail floor space; or
Have the owner or a member of the owner’s immediate family (spouse, mother, father, brother, sister or child) working on the premises between the hours of 11 p.m. and 5 a.m.

Minimum Security Standards

Training in robbery deterrence and safety for each employee, conducted through an approved curriculum
Drop safe or cash management device that is secured to the floor or counter or that weighs at least 500 pounds
Lighted parking lot
Notice at the entrance that the cash register contains $50.00 or less
Height markers at the entrance
Window sign placement allowing an unobstructed view of the sales transaction area from inside and outside the building
Window tinting that allows for physical identification of all persons in the sales transaction area from outside the building
A written cash management policy, kept on-site, that limits cash on hand between the hours of 11 p.m. and 5 a.m.
A security camera system that is capable of retrieving an identifiable image of an offender, including an annual test photo and a maintenance log showing maintenance every four months
A silent alarm
Additional security measures, if required (see below)

Additional security measures are required when:

Convenience businesses at which a murder, robbery, sexual battery, aggravated assault, aggravated battery, kidnapping or false imprisonment has occurred in connection with the operation of the business must have one of the following additional security measures in place between the hours of 11 p.m. and 5 a.m.:

At least two employees on the premises at all times
A secured safety enclosure made of transparent polycarbonate
A security guard or off duty law enforcement officer on the premises
Locked premises with business conducted through an indirect pass-through, trap door or window

The additional security requirements must be in place for a minimum of 24 months after the date of the most recent crime. After 24 months, the convenience business may file a notice of exemption with the Office of the Attorney General.

The Shaked law firm represents victims of violence in Miami and throughout the State of Florida. If you or a loved one has been seriously injured because of security negligence, lack of security, inadequate security, contact us for a free consultation.

Shaked Law Firm
2999 NE 191st Street, Penthouse 6
Miami, FL 33180
Phone: 305-937-0191
Toll Free: 877-LAW-0080

The negligent security attorneys at the Shaked Law Firm in Miami, Florida, represent clients nationally and throughout Florida in Miami, Ft. Lauderdale, Key West, Broward County, Dade County, North Miami, Palm Beach, South Miami, Kendall, North Miami Beach, Miami Shores, Pembroke Pines, Hialeah, Westchester, South Beach, Miami Beach, Hollywood, Hallandale and other communities and counties throughout the State of Florida.

As she arrived at her job at The Check Cashing Store, Clairemathe Geffrard made one phone call to a coworker.

It was the signal to let everyone know she was safely inside the store.

But what co-worker Yolanda Metelus heard shortly before 9:30 a.m. Tuesday when she answered the call was the voice of a unknown male.

“Open the f—ing door,” the man barked, twice. The line went dead.

Metelus called 911 when Geffrard didn’t pick up.

New details were released Wednesday about the violent armed robbery that left Geffrard dead from a gunshot and the suspected shooter hospitalized with bullet wounds from deputies.

“Clairemathe Geffrard, a 25-year-old mother of a 1-year-old, who was just trying to make an honest living, working to take care of her family, went to work every morning like all of us do,” Sheriff Al Lamberti said Wednesday. “Unfortunately some hoodlum decided to ruin her life.”

BSO deputies and SWAT members quickly arrived at the store at 2927 W. Sunrise Blvd., a busy commercial strip just west of Fort Lauderdale, and surrounded it.

They quickly shut down Sunrise Boulevard during rush hour.

Investigators said Wednesday 33-year-old Stanley Beasley, a convicted felon with a long rap sheet was inside with Geffrard. They believe he followed her in from the parking lot as she walked from her car to the business.

At 10 a.m., Geffrard called co-worker Djefnie Pericles.

“Tell the police to leave, he’s got a gun to my head,” Geffrard said, according to the affidavit. She hung up.

Pericles tried to call back, but there was no answer.

Investigators said Beasley, of Lauderhill, shot Geffrard in the head, execution style, then ran out the front door, carrying a backpack and firing at deputies.

Five deputies returned fire, according to the affidavit, striking Beasley, who collapsed in the parking lot. His backpack was stuffed with more than $3,300, the affidavit said. A 9 mm firearm was near his right hand.

A SWAT team member found Geffrard face down on the floor, near the open store safe.

Also hurt in the gunfire was Jorge Aguilar, 36, who Lamberti described as an innocent bystander. He was across the street at a tire shop when a bullet struck him in the chest.

On Wednesday, Aguilar remained at Broward General Medical Center.

Geffrard’s husband told WSVN-Fox 7 that she had only been there for a few months and didn’t feel safe but stayed.

“She felt like leaving her job,” her husband, James Sainvil, told the station, “but, because of our situation, she could not.”

Beasley’s prior criminal history included charges of robbery, burglary, grand theft, battery on a law enforcement officer and resisting arrest. On Wednesday, he was also was in Broward General, under prison guard. He faces charges of murder, kidnapping and robbery.

Detectives also are looking to see if Beasley is connected to the “Assault Gun Bandits,” a robbery crew that terrorized Broward and Palm Beach county banks between 2004 and 2007, stealing nearly $800,000. The crew was made up of three brothers, all with the last name Beasley: Joshua, Brandon, and Gregory.

Their spree ended after Gregory was murdered and an alert Palm Beach County sheriff’s deputy shot and killed Joshua in April 2008, after a $104,000 heist at a Washington Mutual bank. Brandon Beasley was convicted and sentenced to prison.

The Check Cashing Store remained closed Wednesday. A white teddy bear and flowers were left outside.

The Shaked law firm represents victims of violence in Dade and Broward Counties and throughout the State of Florida. If you or a loved one has been seriously injured because of security negligence, lack of security, inadequate security, contact us for a free consultation.

Shaked Law Firm
2999 NE 191st Street, Penthouse 6
Miami, FL 33180
Phone: 305-937-0191
Toll Free: 877-LAW-0080

The fatal shooting occurred Saturday evening when two men who were outside an apartment complex on Avondale Drive were approached by one or more persons. Shots were fired and the victims were transported to North Broward Medical Center in Deerfield Beach where injuries to one of them proved to be fatal.

The shooting is being investigated by BSO homicide detectives. They asked anyone with information to call BSO Homicide Det. Frank Ilarraza at 954-321-4210 or Broward Crime Stoppers at 954-493-8477, or online to www.browardcrimestoppers.org.

Many violent crimes are “crimes of opportunity”, meaning they are committed in the place which affords the perpetrator the best opportunity to avoid being seen or caught. Very often that place turns out to be a commercial property like an apartment complex, night club, bank or automated teller machine (ATM) where safety and security have been neglected.

In Florida, a land or business owner has a legal duty to provide a reasonably safe premises for their invited guests, patrons or residents. This duty includes a duty to protect against the foreseeable, preventable criminal acts of third parties.

There are several things land or business owners can do to protect their guests and possibly avoid a premises security case being filed against them. These include among other things, keeping landscaping trimmed to increase visibility and improving the lighting.

When land or business owners fail to provide a reasonably safe premises and someone is injured or killed as a result, they may be held liable for the resulting injuries or death on the theory of negligent or inadequate security. Negligent security cases ultimately help to make our communities safer. The crime victim’s compensation will depend on many factors and each incident must be independently evaluated.

If you or someone you know has been injured or killed as a result of violent crime, call our Florida premises security lawyers today for a free consultation about your potential inadequate security case. Our trial lawyers are experienced in all types of catastrophic personal injury and medical malpractice cases.

The man appeared to be in his 20s, police spokeswoman Kenia Reyes said. He was found in the 1100 block of Northwest Eighth Street Road, she said.

After reports of the shooting came in, paramedics rushed to the scene, where the man died.

Police are investigating. They said a four-door, gray vehicle was involved.

        The Gainesville Sun (9/9, Clark) added that the citations “include three serious and one ‘other-than-serious’ violations for failing to anchor a machine, not providing a lock to lock-out equipment, not shutting down equipment during cleaning and not covering a floor hole. Griffin has 15 days to comply, request a meeting or contest the citations and penalties. … The company, headquarted in Cold Spring, Ky., collects and recycles meat and poultry by-products, grocery scraps, restaurant grease and bakery waste for use in pet and animal food, leather, turf, and industrial/chemical and petroleum industries.”

Property owners and operators have a duty to keep others including their visitors safe from harm, including criminal assault. If they fail to take adequate safety measures or to warn visitors of dangerous conditions, they can be held liable for negligent security.

At the Shaked Law Firm in Florida our personal injury attorneys represent crime victims who were injured because property owners failed to provide proper security. Negligent security claims are often very complex, and commonly involve:

• Forced entry
• Inadequate lighting
• Inadequate parking lot surveillance
• Negligent hotel security
• Negligent hiring
• Attacks in elevators and stairwells
• Landlord liability
• Negligent bank / ATM kiosk security
• Negligent theme park security
• Negligent college campus and dorm room security
• Negligent shopping mall security
• Negligent sport stadium security
• Negligent hospital security
• Negligent nursing home, assisted living residence security

We are compassionate attorneys who understand the physical and emotional trauma crime victims endure after an attack. We are dedicated to holding those people and organizations responsible for your injuries financially liable for the damages you have suffered.

Our Goal is Justice

Our goal is justice for the wrongfully injured. To obtain it, we will aggressively pursue financial compensation for your injuries, medical bills, pain and suffering, lost wages, and loss of future earning capacity. If the perpetrator is convicted of a felony or misdemeanor in criminal court, we may also be able to pursue punitive damages. However, we can pursue a case in civil court whether or not those who caused you harm were convicted of any crime.

Whether you were the victim of a sexual assault by someone who wandered into a nursing home or were injured in an attack in a poorly lit parking ramp, our personal injury attorneys can help you recover the full amount of financial compensation to which you are legally entitled.

Please contact our law firm today to schedule a free initial consultation and case evaluation. There are no up-front costs and no attorney fees at all unless we win financial compensation for you. Our contingency fee arrangement allows average citizens the ability to exercise their legal rights without having to pay an attorney hourly fees.

With a personal injury attorney from the Shaked Law Firm is on your side, you will have a strong voice advocating for your best interests and fighting for your rights. For years, our attorneys have been going up against powerful insurance companies whose objective is to pay injured people as little as possible for their claims. We always pursue the maximum possible financial recovery for each and every client. Over the years, we have earned an impressive record of success as well as the gratitude of our clients and the respect of our peers in the legal community.

If you have been injured, let us put our experience to work for you. Contact an attorney at (877) LAW-0080 at the Shaked Law Firm today.

If you have or a family member have been victim of somone else negligence and would like to be contacted by our lawyers at no cost or obligation, please click the link below.  Contact Our Personal Injury Law Firm.