RECENT COMMENTS
Eric S. Huffstutler on What is up with the Church Hill Post Office?
Eric S. Huffstutler on What is up with the Church Hill Post Office?
Yvette Cannon on What is up with the Church Hill Post Office?
crd on Power Outage on the Hill
What can you do about drug dealing near by?
05/25/2016 8:05 AM by John M
A reader asks:
Has the CHPN ever tackled the issue of drugs being sold in our neighborhoods. I have gone to the 1st Precinct in person on a least 6 occasions and still the guys on the block continue their enterprise unfettered. It’s flagrant and goes on at any hour of any day. We’ve had friends come over and after they’ve parked and come in say, “Do you know they’re selling drugs over there?” It’s that obvious! Why can’t the police do anything?
I proposed getting in touch with the area civic association, contacting the sector lieutenant, and contacting the landlord if the dealers are not the property owners.
Any other suggestions?
I had video after video of blatant drug deals that I shared with the police, but To no avail. Nothing done.
Uhmmm, this isn’t the most practical suggestion, but if the rent get in touch with their landlord, offer to buy the house, then evict them or non-renew their lease. Again, I realize that’s impractical, but I’ve been there, done that, it works.
A more realistic approach might be to find the landlord and make it clear that you will have code enforcement all over their property until the place is A) kept up and B) rented to folks who aren’t criminals. Places like this almost always have code issues.
If they own the property, you might look into a public nuisance suit. I’d suggest research the matter further and/or contacting an attorney. I think this is a more complex process than most people want to undertake, may require neighbors to speak up as well, and seems to be rarely done anymore.
What everyone else has said will help: Call 911. Post on seeclickfix. Call 311. Call the local news and complain. The more you complain and make the matter public the more likely the police are to actually do something and the less appealing it will be for them to deal there.
On a final note, do be careful. Consider additional ways to stay safe/secure before you take these folks in in a public way.
I would respectfully disagree with #4- drug dealer in the neighborhood means having marginal characters living/coming into the neighborhood to buy drugs. This spills over into property crime/crime of opportunity. Would it take an innocent bystander getting shot during a drug deal gone bad, before police pays attention?
I called the police yesterday about an incident on my block and they were over within five minutes. I remained anonymous and was thankful for their promptness in dealing with the matter.
I’m glad that we got the “typical” comment from one of the many “typical” CH community members- like Jennifer:
“If it’s not causing you or your family direct harm, then just don’t worry about it and everyone mind their own business. No one is actually obligated to care or mind”
This is the true problem with many that live in the neighborhood- some think that if they just act like it does not exist… it does not happen!
When I used to live in the neighborhood (I still work here), I used to bring up things happening all the time to neighbors (shootings, murders, robberies, theft, drug dealing). Many of my “neighbors” took this as talking shit about our neighborhood and being “negative”. The reality is we need to be cautious where we live and what is going on around us.
Many of those who live in church hill are oblivious to what goes on just a few doors down. Just as Victoria said….. “I must be in my own little world”. Many think that if they don’t see it, it does not happen. Too many people walk around with their heads down looking at their iPhone’s and HAVE NO IDEA WHAT IS GOING ON AROUND THEM.
People, this is the city. Don’t be an idiot and be aware of what is going on around you. And as Kathleen said, you can make a difference, but is very difficult. The funny part is when you do try and make a difference; you usually get the most resistance from your neighbors who claim you are being negative, racist, vindictive, paranoid and a vigilante.
But hey, I guess these neighbors do have a point- maybe we should not talk about this kind of stuff because we don’t want it to decrease the home values….?
Are # 4 and # 6 serious? Seriously? This is a problem.
Clearly we need to address drugs being sold on our streets and…not buy drugs (off of our streets)…or IMO ever.
We live right next to a drug dealer. The main guy has a meth addict doing curbside service while he’s out. It’s awful and we hate it. We know it’s more than just Marijuana. The customers that come buy are obviously on narcotics. We realized we need to get involved if we want it to stop. Either that or move out. I’ve read dealing drugs is also a form of addiction? Crazy.
Amen to x neighbor!
Not everyone can get a prescription for their narcotic habit. Some have to buy it on the street. This doesn’t make them bad people, just people who need help.
If you’re so concerned about people dealing drugs, perhaps you could focus on helping those who depend on them, instead of just shouting “not in my backyard!” from your landscaped patio.
I feel like selling drugs on the street corner does cause all of us harm, and devalues everyone’s property. Now, it’s 2016 and if someone wants to smoke weed in his house, fine by me. He wants to go to someone’s house and buy it, fine by me. That doesn’t cause me harm. He’s not out on the corner slinging in front of my house and kids on public land. To stand out on the corner in a neighbor and sell drugs unacceptable. I would say the same about standing on the corner drunk and being obnoxious. Do it home, or a bar. Then be sure to Uber.
Laissez-faire…we all know that these drug dealers will end up in jail or dead – sooner or later.
I had drug dealing going on near me when I 1st moved in. I called 911 repeatedly on them. I walked out in the middle of the street and took photos of the license plates and sent them to the police. I did this for YEARS before the problem moved off my street.
Notably, SP above is not me, Stephen Popovich. I happily live on M street with 2 small children and agree that drug use in our neighborhood is endemic and should be thoughtfully addressed and stopped.
>> “He wants to go to someone’s house and buy it, fine by me. That doesn’t cause me harm. He’s not out on the corner slinging in front of my house and kids on public land.”
While I agree that an open air drug market is intolerable lets not pretend that that a having your neighbors house be a crack, coke, heroin or meth den is just fine and dandy.
Becoming addicted to one of the harder drugs is totally avoidable. Don’t ever try them and you can’t become addicted to them. Addicts inevitably pose all kinds of burdens upon their families and society at large. When they lose themselves in addiction they often become unemployable, don’t pay their debts, and in many cases resort to property and violent crime to fund their habits and usually end up with expensive medical and rehabilitation bills footed by tax payers. These drugs are a big wasteful sink hole. I’m not just parroting what I’ve seen on TV. I’ve had two family members waste their lives on this crap. Including an uncle who pretended to be paying the mortgage for 5 months while he instead was snorting it up his nose. A nose that actually caved in on his face. In the aftermath my aunt had wrecked credit and she and my two cousins had to move back in with my grandparents for 3 years.
Long story short if you suspect a high activity of drug dealing in your neighborhood whether it be on the corner or in a residence don’t be apathetic. Report it to the police. This isn’t just a property values issue. Hard drugs ruin many many lives.
@16 and #23
Allegedly, much of the reason for the higher number of drug arrests in lower income and minority neighborhoods is linked to a greater prevalence of open air and/or public dealing and drug use. Generally, this is a factor cites or at least suggested in studies of the disproportionality of drug arrests by race (I.e. There are proportionally and absolutely more white than black drug users, but far more African Americans are arrested for drug crimes.
I mention it because I wonder: Does the public nature of the drug trade also contribute to the violence? Presumably, drug sales indoors in clubs and bars are less likely to encourage the kind of violence associated with dealers fighting over territory. Would it be a worthwhile harm reduction strategy to try to encourage (though certainly not ignore or condone) drug activity to off rather than on the street? What would such a strategy look like? Presumably, targeted enforcement in the areas where street dealing is prevalent isn’t exactly having that effect, or there would be evidence that the racial and socioeconomic disproportionately in arrests was decreasing over time as minorities and low income folks moved their dealing and use indoors. Then again, maybe it hasn’t been studied enough.
In any event, drug dealing and use goes on everywhere, it’s just that we actually see it more around here.
#24 addressed me. But largely ignored my points.
That said, there is a myth that blacks and whites use drugs at the same rate and blacks just get incarcerated for it more.
This is not really true. It comes from headlines and talking points about a study that said blacks and whites use drugs at the same rate “when controlling for socioeconomic status”. Unfortunately people and media citing the study leave out the part about controlling for socioeconomic status. Either because they don’t understand what that qualifier means, it doesn’t fit their narrative/agenda or they have a short attention span and only care about broad stroke talking points. When the conclusion is repeated over and over in the public realm without the context of the qualifier many people mistakenly believe it to be fact.
People on the lower end of the economic spectrum do use drugs far more than those at the higher end. For instance people who have some level of assets and a steady professional job have a lot to lose. They’ll assess the risk of drug use differently than those possibly unemployed and in public housing with less to lose. It is unfortunate that circumstances have led to blacks disproportionately being toward the lower end of that economic spectrum. But poor people do use drugs more than middle class and upper class of any color. If the oft-cited study didn’t “control for socioeconomic status” it would show blacks use drugs more. But not because they are black – it is because they are disproportionately poor. It isn’t a problem with the study per se – it is a problem with people jumping to the wrong conclusions from the study. Combine the higher drug use/dealing with less access to quality legal defense and this explains most of the disparities in drug related incarceration rates.
I think there are plenty of *best practices* cases in the City and good advice listed above. Remember when Grace Street was a shithole full of drug dealers and tranny hookers? That was my first house purchase. I was a young urban pioneer with the same problem. We did the obvious: started walking our dogs a lot, sat on our porches a lot. Held cameras in our hands (mainly to take pics of license plates of henrico husbands coming in for tranny BJs which decreased “demand”). We called 911 and we had a community safety patrol. Figure out what you are comfortable with, band together with a few neighbors and stick to it. Squeaky wheel …one block at a time.
@10 Right on!
@ The neighbor that started this thread (and others who are bothered/angered/saddened by drug dealing): you are not alone. It has actually been good for me to read this thread and to know that others have been dealing with this issue. We live directly next to a known drug house where dealers have operated for many years.
I completely agree with the activist approaches #2 and others have suggested. Specifically:
*Call the non-emergency line if you see or suspect drug dealing. Don’t be discouraged by the dispatchers’ tone (at times they can seem disinterested and bored). Offer descriptions of dealers you see (e.g. how many, what they’re wearing, race, license plates, etc.). Call the police as many times as necessary to report suspicious drug related activity.
*Attend the East End District mtgs that Rep. Newbille hosts. The police attend and give reports. I’ve attended and I’ve voiced my complaints about drug dealing. I personally have had no luck with the association (Church Hill Central) that is supposed to represent my neighborhood.
*I would not confront drug dealers directly. If the police start coming around more, dealers and others may undoubtedly blame you, call you names, etc. (this happened to my husband and I). Don’t engage hooligans. If they get in your face or you feel threatened, call 911 and tell them what’s up.
*Contact the police lieutenant directly and ask for a meeting. We’ve done this and have found it useful.
*If you can afford it, buy security cameras. We did this and found that they served to deter the dealers from dealing directly in front of our house.
Finally, if you would like, I would be willing to meet up over coffee/beer/etc. to commiserate. John, if you’re comfortable with it, would you be willing to play matchmaker?
The people who live among us and deal drugs, whether in the privacy of their homes – rented or owned – or on the open streets, are our neighbors; and many of them got here long before we did. A paper in a recent CHPN post stated that “The concept of displacement is the number one issue many individuals have with gentrification.” Acting to have the drug dealers removed for life-styles that are different from our own is just another form of gentrification.
@Annonymous – Your comment wasn’t actually shown when I posted, sorry if you felt like I was *intentionally* talking past you. The actual academic studies are mixed. They suggest variously and (maybe) contradictorily :
A) that black and white people use and deal drugs at comparable rates without controlling for socioeconomic status.
B) that they use and deal at comparable rates, controlling for socioeconomic status
C) That there are far more white drug users and dealers than black, regardless of socioeconomic considerations (assuming that there are more poor white folks in absolute terms, regardless of proportionality considerations).
I could go on, but I really have no stake in figuring out which racial or ethnic groups have more prevalent drug problems. It’s a problem no matter who is doing it, as you (I think?) have already pointed out (I have family members who have dealt with serious addiction problems as well, you have my sympathies).
My concern is this – in terms of immediate and obvious effects on quality of life and safety, drug dealing that results in violence, especially public violence and especially public gun violence seems to be far worse *for innocent neighbors and bystanders* than drug dealing that happens off the street and out of sight. Maybe you have a good counterpoint: perhaps a culture of public drug use makes it easier to identify and help *users* who have a problem before things get really out of hand??? I say that speculatively, of course, I really have no idea. My previous comment was specifically about violent crime related to conflict between dealers or between dealers and addicts, not the petty crime or the personal costs/loss associated with addiction.
I would also note that when I think “crack den” or “drug den” or what-have-you, I picture a place (usually vacant or run down) where drugs are used, not necessarily a place where they are sold. (And not where anyone who is making any real income off of dealing would actually live).
You use of “Tranny” and “Urban Pioneer” tell me all I I need to know. #trump2016
A week ago I was arriving home from work.There was a parked Cadillac with an older couple dipping their heads down passing a tray. As I approached the car from behind I started recording on my phone. Just as I arrived at the driver door the man was mid snort. Deer in the headlights. I politely asked him to leave and not come back. He nodded and left.
I’ve done this with a few dozen cars over the years, with great success and mixed reviews. Cocaine and heroin plague my block. I’m not going to stop it, but I’ll stop it from parking in front of my house. Unless you got real evidence it’s not worth the police’ time. Let the customers/ dealers know you hate that shit. Make your opinion matter off the internet.
Obviously this approach won’t work for everyone, and properly judging safety is a must.
Coupled with the natural progression of the hood (demoing unwanted properties, people moving in/out etc. It has really quieted my corner down, given me peace of mind and eliminated yard tool theft.
I have 3 dropcam pro (WIFI) cameras for sale if anyone is interested. These are nice because you can view from the app on any phone or computer at any time and add the different online storage DVDr packages.
They helped me solve many mysteries over the last couple years!
$90 each, they come with the original box, cord, mount.
They were normally $199
or all for $250
Im in church hill mon-fri 8a-445p
email me at danielscottspivey@gmail.com
What about contacting the media? If there are pics and video from different citizens, that’s going to be very appealing to them.
What about setting up an account like Union Hill did? That was pretty impactful.
I live a block from Whitcomb. I’ve lived in the east end for 35 years. I know some of the drug dealers and I see them make exchanges all of the time. I don’t think the police are worried about it because most of these drug dealers aren’t “kingpin” or “major” drug dealers. Trust me, I know. They don’t make as much money as you think they do. There’s alot of guys in the richmond city jail who’re there on small/petty drug charges. They may have got caught with a dime bag of marijuana or $10 of heroin. These men and women aren’t major drug dealers, and I don’t think that the police are worried about that. I’m not going to say any names, but I know a guy that lives a block from me in Whitcomb who’ve I’ve known for 5 years, and he sells drugs. The police knows about it. They just don’t do anything about it. Welcome to the east end
I live on the corner, number street in front, letter on side. I spend a lot of time in my yard. I’ve lived here a year and a half. I know all my neighbors. I walk most of the time so I think a lot of people see me out and about. I speak to everyone I pass.
I have occasionally come upon people who seemed a little freaked out to see me but that’s about it.
I think we all need to become a visible part of our neighborhoods.
BTW, I’m 64. I don’t carry pepper spray or taser. I don’t own a gun.
All is well at the corner of # and letter 😉
I’m really surprised by some of these comments.
A few years ago, I saw people shooting up in a car right outside of my house. I called the police and stayed on the phone with dispatch until the multiple units arrived. I was able to tell dispatch that the car was driving off as the cops arrived. The cops chased the car down and found a driving violation to ticket them for (they came back to the street looking for evidence and I spoke with them then). I was frustrated that the cops didn’t search the car or ticket them for drug activity but they did their jobs.
The few times I’ve called the non-emergency hotline, they have always shown up in a timely manner and have taken my concerns seriously.
My husband and I have owned a house near the Boys & Girls Club for 11 years. The same guy has been dealing in the middle of the 3 way street corner of the Boys & Girls Club (within 1,000 feet of Franklin Academy) consistently without interference from the police all of this time. When we tried to stop him years ago, he flattened our car tires on a regular basis for months, but we couldn’t prove it.
Cameras have gone up on two homes on our street in the past week. This is causing quite a lot of drama from several of the neighbors one of whom asked to have them taken down?! So, they are involved too along with his mother and uncle.
Apparently, this guy’s extended family & friends are financially benefitting from his activity. It’s a family & neighborhood affair!
I hate to ruin a possibly good memory and sound paranoid, but an ice cream truck has been parking at the end of the street engine off, driver gone. Or, drives down the street with the music on and the adults follow it. My neighbors have trouble keeping their lights on, forget buying ice cream from the Good Humor Man.
A friend of mine who used to live in Church Hill told me that they sell drugs out of the Good Humor Truck.
I’ve been looking for Daniel’s comment about watching drug deals going down across the street from the 1st Precinct sub station. Can someone re-post?