Big drug bust

Nostrand between St. Marks and Bergen. About 100 cops everywhere, chopper circling, SWAT guys, two locations - one a little CD/Video place next to Key Foods and the other a restaurant called Chris on the next block. Saw one guy in handcuffs in front of the CD place. I looked in and they were pushing up the ceiling tiles with a machete. Cops told me to move along. I didn't argue.

I hope the busts in those two places are a signal of more cleaning to come - including next door to me.

10 block drug raid on Nostrand

Can I just say its about damn time!

Wonder if they are going to take the extra step and start coming on the blocks to get all the drug activity that has now moved off the corners?

yea, it was sort of disheartening to see the dealers deal within view of the now-gone camera platform, and the police RV.

nearnostrand wrote: I hope the busts in those two places are a signal of more cleaning to come - including next door to me.

Seems like the community got more from the DA's office than the NYPD
From
http://abclocal.go.com/wabc/story?section=news/local&id=7370888:

"Members of the community alerted officials with the DA's office to the pervasive marijuana sales. "

In the words of the diminutive emcee Lil Wayne, "The block is hot, the block is ho-ho-hot!" I went to buy some eggs and milk just now and I thought I walked on to the set of CIS! Wow!

But on the real , I pray that this drug sweep actually makes a difference and after the press conferences and fanfare die down that the drug presence in this neighborhood is lessened.

for those who like video

Eight arrested in Crown Heights drug raid

ah, summertime.

hmmm, will the businesses survive without their supplemental income?
I guess I prefer vacant stores to stores that sell drugs....

Gothamist: Stores raided in Brooklyn

Subject: unjust

i'm surprised that everyone who's posted here has the same opinion. ah....diversity is great, just as long as our differences are inconsequential.

the drug war is evil, and this bust is unjust.

the drug war is evil, and this bust is unjust.

Care to explain why this drug bust is "unjust?"

In the 1928 Presidential campaign the Republican guaranteed, if voted in there would be , a chicken in every pot.

How times have changed , in crown heights you can get pot in every chicken.

This drug bust seems to have had a little more theater than usual ...the police commissioner, Letitia (sp?) James, the brooklyn DA, helicopters, etc.

Don't worry theOther, the drug trade won't go very far. ...and it certainly won't be gone for very long.

I feel I give drug dealers good advice, I don't know why they won't adapt to the changing neighborhood. The more things change, the more they stay the same.

http://www.brooklynian.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=54124

legalize all drugs and prostitution, tax and regulations. and suicide is the ultimate form of freedom.

While I'm glad the residents of the nabe have gotten what they wanted (for now), I can't help but think this is a temporary band-aid. You're talking about busting low-level dealers who'll will inevitably get out in a matter of days/weeks (depending on their record, or course).

I wonder if the police have gone up (way up) the chain of command. As long as the suppliers haven't been affected, they'll just set up shop somewhere else.

Whatchuwant wrote: While I'm glad the residents of the nabe have gotten what they wanted (for now), I can't help but think this is a temporary band-aid. You're talking about busting low-level dealers who'll will inevitably get out in a matter of days/weeks (depending on their record, or course).

I wonder if the police have gone up (way up) the chain of command. As long as the suppliers haven't been affected, they'll just set up shop somewhere else.

The impression I get is that while some of these places were selling retail, there was a thriving wholesale business as well. If the cops are buying by the pound this was probably a mid-level operation that supplied low-level dealers. I am however concerned by the relatively low numbers of arrests, and by the fact that none of the guys selling harder drugs on the corners got caught up in this at all.

homeowner wrote: [quote=Whatchuwant]While I'm glad the residents of the nabe have gotten what they wanted (for now), I can't help but think this is a temporary band-aid. You're talking about busting low-level dealers who'll will inevitably get out in a matter of days/weeks (depending on their record, or course).

I wonder if the police have gone up (way up) the chain of command. As long as the suppliers haven't been affected, they'll just set up shop somewhere else.

The impression I get is that while some of these places were selling retail, there was a thriving wholesale business as well. If the cops are buying by the pound this was probably a mid-level operation that supplied low-level dealers. I am however concerned by the relatively low numbers of arrests, and by the fact that none of the guys selling harder drugs on the corners got caught up in this at all.

Hmmm- dunno- low level guys can afford a pound now and then...and if its a bodega guy selling little baggies, he's still low level, even though he buys a pound. It's the Costco way of business! Buy in bulk now, save later!

But seriously, it is indeed a concern that the hard drug guys are still in business...which makes this bust look even more like a publicity stunt. Don't get me wrong, PR and KWAK- I'm glad you cleaned up the streets (kinda), but don't think that you've cleaned it up for good.

this seems like it was a pretty big business. $300k seized. over 100 pounds moved per week. that's a bunch of money. people are tough to please. these people set up shop IN the businesses on Nostrand; getting them out of there is GOOD.

mr. met wrote: this seems like it was a pretty big business. $300k seized. over 100 pounds moved per week. that's a bunch of money. people are tough to please. these people set up shop IN the businesses on Nostrand; getting them out of there is GOOD.

Totally agree that getting them out was a good thing- no doubt. I'm just saying I don't think it was a huge bust, that's all. 300k (and 1 gun?)- not so big, especially if there was coke involved. Mid-level, I guess, but not big time. Not enough to affect the major suppliers, anyway. But that's a whole other case...

Whatchuwant wrote: Totally agree that getting them out was a good thing- no doubt. I'm just saying I don't think it was a huge bust, that's all. 300k (and 1 gun?)- not so big, especially if there was coke involved. Mid-level, I guess, but not big time. Not enough to affect the major suppliers, anyway. But that's a whole other case...

Yup.

This is starting to look more like an instance of legitimate business owners complaining because the illegal activity will hurt them in the long run, especially when you consider how much Crown Heights is changing for the "better".

Ishtar wrote: [quote=Whatchuwant]Totally agree that getting them out was a good thing- no doubt. I'm just saying I don't think it was a huge bust, that's all. 300k (and 1 gun?)- not so big, especially if there was coke involved. Mid-level, I guess, but not big time. Not enough to affect the major suppliers, anyway. But that's a whole other case...

Yup.

This is starting to look more like an instance of legitimate business owners complaining because the illegal activity will hurt them in the long run, especially when you consider how much Crown Heights is changing for the "better".

Well, them maybe, but there are people trying to raise their families in a safe environment, free of having to literally walk their kids around drug dealers as they're dealing. It's fucked up when dealers get so comfortable doing business out in the open - I remember last year when the tower was up on Franklin (over by FP)- not even 40 feet away, folks were smoking a blunt right on the sidewalk, not even trying to hide it. Fucked up.

Whatchuwant wrote:
Well, them maybe, but there are people trying to raise their families in a safe environment, free of having to literally walk their kids around drug dealers as they're dealing. It's fucked up when dealers get so comfortable doing business out in the open - I remember last year when the tower was up on Franklin (over by FP)- not even 40 feet away, folks were smoking a blunt right on the sidewalk, not even trying to hide it. Fucked up.

What funny about this is that I know a lot of older people in the neighborhood who raised their children here during the worst of times and they've all said they called and called and called, but was never able to get the police to do much of anything.

mr. met wrote: this seems like it was a pretty big business. $300k seized. over 100 pounds moved per week. that's a bunch of money. people are tough to please. these people set up shop IN the businesses on Nostrand; getting them out of there is GOOD.

Yea this seems like big business..... damn near 5 tons worth of pot a year(at least, that was just one store!) has to be rerouted....

I think its silly that POT has caused such a stir though... it's POT. From what I know CH doesn't have a coke or heroin problem. IDK

cocaine and crack are available; I've seen micro bags that are way too small for weed.

But, I agree with WCW:
This seems to be a pretty small bust. The news states that the dealers were mostly clerks, and that they operated independently from each other. There was no report of no central supplier, just a bunch of places that had enterprising clerks .

Personally, I'm kinda suprised that only one gun was found. I mean, even in businesses that are selling legal items, if I raided 8 of them I'd expect to have found more than one gun. I've always assumed that many businesses that are open past 8 PM have a gun on site. ...perhaps b/c the owners successfuly shoot robbers dead once and a while.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/18/nyregion/18shoot.html

Cool The Kid wrote: [quote=mr. met]this seems like it was a pretty big business. $300k seized. over 100 pounds moved per week. that's a bunch of money. people are tough to please. these people set up shop IN the businesses on Nostrand; getting them out of there is GOOD.

Yea this seems like big business..... damn near 5 tons worth of pot a year(at least, that was just one store!) has to be rerouted....

I think its silly that POT has caused such a stir though... it's POT. From what I know CH doesn't have a coke or heroin problem. IDK

I would just appreciate not having to walk my children into my own home and worry about all of us getting a contact high due to the overpowering POT smoke, and whatever else it is that has a sickly and noxious odor - combined with the metallic taste on my tongue - just by virtue of the fumes that seep in through the walls form the house next door. I would also like to not have "crackish" looking people hanging around in front of my house if it can be helped. Until you've come home and had to remove human excrement from in front of the entrance to your garden level, you've not experienced the fullness of life!!

I don't know for a fact if there is a rampant coke, or heroine problem in CH. What I do know is that the people who buy their drugs next door to me look like the same crack and/or heroine addicts that I have seen roaming the streets for over 20 years. That doesn't mean that they are, but I don't think those whose drug of choice is singularly POT, exhibit the same physical appearance as your run of the mill crack head and/or heroine user.

And no, the individual selling the drugs next door wasn't here before me. And yes. I have made multiple complaints, at various levels, to the powers that be.