The owner of a downtown Rockford bicycle shop says theft and other criminal activities have forced him to keep his doors locked during business hours and seeing customers by appointment only.
“I have had issues with theft and threats of violence,” said AJ Goff, owner of Subversive Cycling Company at 327 W. Jefferson St., the site of the old Adriatic Live Music Bar. “Kids with no adults (were) coming and tossing the store and being disrespectful to me and customers.”
Goff relocated to the corner of West Jefferson and North Church streets in 2022, hoping to thrive as the area’s only retail bike shop. His hopes were soon dashed.
“Vagrants and criminals wonder around aimlessly, (defecating) on doorsteps and throwing rocks at windows,” Goff said. “Any time I call anyone out, they call me racist and threaten to kill me.”
The shop was previously in the former Chase Bank building at 614 E. Jefferson St. Although he didn’t have a showroom there, Goff never felt unsafe like he does on the west side of the Rock River.