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There are plenty of different drugs being used in Philly. I live in one of the better neighborhoods and depending on what I want, I just knock on a different neighbor's door. I have 6 dealers in my area: one next door, one across the street, and 4 around the corner. I went to the police district (at the urging of the townwatch) to tell them what I know and I caught a wrath of crap for diming the dealers out. Then someone dimed me out to the dealers. That's when another neighbor informed me that the police were on the take. Now I understand why the townwatch hasn't been all that effective in dealing with this problem. And, as for meth not being bad on the East Coast, I grew up with a meth lab across the street from me. Now I have 3 labs, possibly 4, in the neighborhood where I currently live. It's not foreign here. And if I had the money, believe me I'd move.
Here in western SC the drugs do not seem to be that prevelant. You hear about an occasional arrest on the news, but nothing like when I lived in Florida. Of course, I am in a much smaller town now than I was before.
Here in western SC the drugs do not seem to be that prevelant. You hear about an occasional arrest on the news, but nothing like when I lived in Florida. Of course, I am in a much smaller town now than I was before.
You live 17 miles from Augusta and don't have a drug problem? Man you must have some Co. Sheriff. We need to put him on the Mexican boarder.
The "good" news in MN re: meth is there aren't as many home-grown labs as there used to be (which as we all know are dangerous and enviornmentally desctructive), but the users are just "importing" the "good" stuff instead.
One popular place for home-grown labs around here is/was ice fishing shacks. Used to be that they were subject to search if drugs were suspected (since the shacks are on public property), but I guess they found that unconstitutional, so now the cops have to have permission and/or probable cause to search someone's ice house.
Joyce65, I can relate somewhat to your frustrations. My brother in law lives next door to a meth house. Traffic coming and going all night, people up at all hours banging around in the garage, etc. etc. He has a 9 year old stepdaughter and obviously wants them out of there, but doesn't want to get directly involved by calling the cops.
He happened to be out one night and ran into the cop who heads the local drug task force. His advice was to keep track of the vehicles coming and going and write down the vehicle descriptions and license plate numbers. That way he (the task force guy) can pass the info on to the police and try to stop the flow of traffic by pulling the "customers" over for whatever they can (speeding, expired tabs, etc.) Once the house is known to be "cased" by the police, people will start looking elsewhere for their drugs (plus the police can start a database of known users and watch for them in the future.)
So perhaps in your case it might be a good idea to bypass the local police and go directly to the "drug" cops for advice...most city and county police forces have a drug task force these days. Otherwise you might even want to go to the state level and see what advice they might have.
The "good" news in MN re: meth is there aren't as many home-grown labs as there used to be (which as we all know are dangerous and enviornmentally desctructive), but the users are just "importing" the "good" stuff instead.
One popular place for home-grown labs around here is/was ice fishing shacks. Used to be that they were subject to search if drugs were suspected (since the shacks are on public property), but I guess they found that unconstitutional, so now the cops have to have permission and/or probable cause to search someone's ice house.
Joyce65, I can relate somewhat to your frustrations. My brother in law lives next door to a meth house. Traffic coming and going all night, people up at all hours banging around in the garage, etc. etc. He has a 9 year old stepdaughter and obviously wants them out of there, but doesn't want to get directly involved by calling the cops.
He happened to be out one night and ran into the cop who heads the local drug task force. His advice was to keep track of the vehicles coming and going and write down the vehicle descriptions and license plate numbers. That way he (the task force guy) can pass the info on to the police and try to stop the flow of traffic by pulling the "customers" over for whatever they can (speeding, expired tabs, etc.) Once the house is known to be "cased" by the police, people will start looking elsewhere for their drugs (plus the police can start a database of known users and watch for them in the future.)
So perhaps in your case it might be a good idea to bypass the local police and go directly to the "drug" cops for advice...most city and county police forces have a drug task force these days. Otherwise you might even want to go to the state level and see what advice they might have.
Good luck!
Thank you MidniteBreeze for the advice. I've been trying to figure out where I should turn next. I was thinking about going to the police commissioner, DA and maybe even the mayor. I didn't think about the state level. Do you mean like the state police? I tried going to the local narcs but I found out that someone in my local police precinct is married to someone in narcotics. So I kind of hit a dead end. I've been writing down license plate #s and make and model of the cars. I even gave names of the buyers that I know. The cop I spoke to told me I wasn't giving him info he could use. He told me I had to bring him proof. Does he want me to go in and make a purchase?! Then he told me that when the police come to look for dealers and buyers to stand there and point them out to the police. I guess he never heard of retaliation. Sad to say that this cop is involved with the townwatch and drug problems in the neighborhood. I think he's part of the problem. As for the house (meth lab) next door, these dealers are known to the police in this area. Last spring they were arrested for dealing in another area of the neighborhood. So you'd think that they'd be under surveillence. That same cop said to me he couldn't believe that they were back to dealing so soon after being picked up. Hello?! These people don't hold down regular jobs. How does he think they're getting the money for rent, utilities, and food? And more drugs?! Go figure.
Wow, sounds like quite a problem. And I know the police have their hands tied to a point, but really...you're supposed to stand out there and ID the druggies?!?
I'm no expert on police jurisdictions or anything, but yes, I was thinking maybe you could talk to someone at the state police level...since you're obviously not getting much response at the local level.
I know the community/county meth coalition I mentioned in a previous post is partially funded by the state government (in MN). I'm not sure what department but I would imagine PA might have some kind of state governing body that backs drug enforcement programs? Sorry, I know I'm not being very specific here!
But it sounds like you're on the right track...keep "going up the ladder" until someone listens to you!
Gosh, and I thought the dubious honor of #1 for Meth Labs went to Desert Hot Springs, CA!!! (I don't live there - thank God, but I live close enough to it that I hear about what goes on there every day!)
Though drugs are everywhere, I have to agree on Desert Hot Springs being the unoffical Meth Capital of the US. I have never seen so many people strung out, skinny, losing their teeth, picked at skin...
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Philly and Drugs
He told me I had to bring him proof. Does he want me to go in and make a purchase?! Then he told me that when the police come to look for dealers and buyers to stand there and point them out to the police. I guess he never heard of retaliation. Sad to say that this cop is involved with the townwatch and drug problems in the neighborhood. I think he's part of the problem. As for the house (meth lab) next door, these dealers are known to the police in this area. Last spring they were arrested for dealing in another area of the neighborhood. So you'd think that they'd be under surveillence. That same cop said to me he couldn't believe that they were back to dealing so soon after being picked up. Hello?! These people don't hold down regular jobs. How does he think they're getting the money for rent, utilities, and food? And more drugs?! Go figure.
(I don't live there - thank God, but I live close enough to it that I hear about what goes on there every day!) 
