Advice: I think my neighbors across the street are drug dealers! (Berkeley: renters, condo)

[Lindsey_Mcfarren]

Originally Posted by jerblaine

Why is he an idiot? He could have a very high IQ which helps him understand that there is alot of money in selling drugs.

I'm sorry but your advocating selling illegal drugs?

I can tell you that won't be tolerated in my neighborhood.

If you advocate illegal actions, you won't last on this site more then a week.

[CESpeed]

Call the police with your suspicions. Without filming (that would be too obvious), write down how many people come and go, what time and if you can without being seen, write down license plate numbers.

Don't listen to these other posters. You have every right to keep your kids safe and live in a neighborhood that is drug-free. And contrary to what was said, the police will listen to your suspicions. They can't find drug dealers or get rid of them unless citizens get involved.

[fastfilm]

edelweiss- none of what you posted would begin to implicate anyone. Not everyone is gregarious. Multiple cars usually means multiple tenants or car guys.

The real tip off would be seeing lots of different people coming over to their place, staying very briefly then leaving, at all hours of the day and night. Has this happened?

And yes, do NOT film people. If you see people doing potentially dangerous things, log it. Then if you feel threatened you can relay to A) the landlord of the property of B) the police that for x number of weeks you saw x number of people coming and going for 5 minutes at a time. If they are tenants, the landlord will have to investigate: seizure laws affect them. Also, be REALLY REALLY sure there is anything whatsoever really questionable to support your allegations. One of the posters above is right in one aspect: there's no reason to ruin a neighbor's life just because you haven't been able to get to know them.

[AONE]

I once had a similar problem and found very little help from the police. I provided them great detail and had no response. That is until I sent a letter to action 4 news (in kansas City), with cc's to the City Council, senators, mayor, social services as there were children in the house, and the chief of police.
Action 4 called me to say they couldnt do anything but I also got a call the next morning from the chief of Police that said it had his attention. that was a tues on Friday the SWAT team rolled through the home and removed the problem for a while.

Be creative with lodging your notice as the policve will give you a simple thanks for the info and procede to do nothing.

[edelweiss]

I realize that I don't have any solid evidence to back up my suspicions.... that is my question then: what constitutes solid evidence in a situation like this? Obviously I can't go to the police on hearsay, so what other things should I keep an eye out for?

To you who immediately stand up for the rights of the drug dealers and claim that they have a right to do what they want as long as they're not hurting anyone, you are either into drugs yourself or are so far left that you have lost all touch with reality. I darn well have a right to be concerned. Not just for my kids but for innocent people all over the place who are affected by people who have gotten involved with drugs. This is why it's ILLEGAL. I can't believe this is turning into a debate about whether drug dealers have a right to be in my neighborhood or not... only in California!

[kettlepot]

The problem with NOT filming the house is that the OP has to go to bed sometime. She can't stay up 24/7 watching the house and writing down details. If the camera is hidden on the side of a window or something, it won't be seen by the people in question. And having a video record will be absolute confirmation if the number of people coming to the house at odd hours is suspicious or not.

While the police always go around saying "please report suspicious activity" the reality is that most police departments operate in a way that discourages or is even outright hostile to citizens doing so. Therefore, if the OP wants to come across as something other than a crank she'll have to have real facts at hand. Also, the camera may actually show that the behavior of the neighbors in question is NOT suspicious, and the OP will be checked from doing something that would unfairly bring the neighbors in question to the attention of the police.

As for the neighbors not bothering anyone around them, that may actually be true. They are probably interested in keeping a low profile. However, that may not be the same for the 'clientele' they attract. Some of these people may need cash quick and may decide that cars and houses nearby are the best targets for raising needed drug money.

Get facts first, report to the police later on.

Facts would be time and length of stay of people who don't live at the address. Makes, models, license plates of cars. Does this 'prove' a crime has been committed? Absolutely not, but it will tell the police that this isn't a wild goose chase.

[Haaziq]

Originally Posted by Lindsey_Mcfarren

I'm sorry but your advocating selling illegal drugs?

I can tell you that won't be tolerated in my neighborhood.

If you advocate illegal actions, you won't last on this site more then a week.

Maybe you haven't kept up with state legislations, but some things are only illegal in some areas. Just because something is illegal doesn't mean it's wrong. Saying something is wrong because it's illegal would be based on opinion, not an absolute fact. In Berkeley, California, marijuana is technically legal (I say technically because it is not in writing, but it is not criminalized. Not to mention, you can sue somebody for stealing your plants (this includes ones that were grown for recreational use). Connecting illegality with immorality just doesn't work when you break it down.


P.S. The War on Drugs is BS and causes unnecessary problems. If you learned about the Prohibition and school, you can easily observe the same results in the case with drugs.

[jerblaine]

Originally Posted by Lindsey_Mcfarren

I'm sorry but your advocating selling illegal drugs?

I can tell you that won't be tolerated in my neighborhood.

If you advocate illegal actions, you won't last on this site more then a week.

Good thing you are asking me and not accusing me because you know darn well I wasn't ADVOCATING anything. I was merely expressing my opinions and beliefs which is what a forum is for.

I AM defending drug dealers from being persecuted by nosey neighbors!!!

[Haaziq]

Originally Posted by edelweiss

I realize that I don't have any solid evidence to back up my suspicions.... that is my question then: what constitutes solid evidence in a situation like this? Obviously I can't go to the police on hearsay, so what other things should I keep an eye out for?

To you who immediately stand up for the rights of the drug dealers and claim that they have a right to do what they want as long as they're not hurting anyone, you are either into drugs yourself or are so far left that you have lost all touch with reality. I darn well have a right to be concerned. Not just for my kids but for innocent people all over the place who are affected by people who have gotten involved with drugs. This is why it's ILLEGAL. I can't believe this is turning into a debate about whether drug dealers have a right to be in my neighborhood or not... only in California!

I could just as easily say the same thing about feeding your children food that is bad for them. I'm a vegan, but I don't attack you for eating meat or feeding it to your children. You're under the idea that since something is illegal, it's automatically wrong, which can't be further from the truth. If they are not harming anybody, it is none of your business. For the record, I'm not from California.

[edelweiss]

Originally Posted by Haaziq

I could just as easily say the same thing about feeding your children food that is bad for them. I'm a vegan, but I don't attack you for eating meat or feeding it to your children. You're under the idea that since something is illegal, it's automatically wrong, which can't be further from the truth. If they are not harming anybody, it is none of your business. For the record, I'm not from California.

If someone who is high crashes their car into mine tomorrow and injures or kills some or all of my family, then it is harming someone. Someone else's drug problem is in some way everyone's problem because their actions while under the influence affect innocent people. The law is to protect innocent people from people who are choosing to intentionally harm themselves. Oh, I see, let's just make it legal so that no one has to take responsibility for their actions... Responsibility!