Drug dealers

Bump.

Almost three years have gone by since this thread, and I dug it up to see if anyone wants to talk about how far we have come in our ongoing "police vs drug dealer", cat and mouse game. (or, how far we haven't come).

....yes, drug legalization might stop the insanity, but I'd prefer this be a thread that discusses the insanity itself. Cures seem to belong to a smarter populace.

In my view, the vast majority of the street level drug dealing that occurred on Washington and Franklin Avenues is now gone. [Perhaps they now deliver?]

Casual observations:

-I see empty thumb-nail size baggies and little squares of tin foil, much less often.

-Nostrand still seems to have some young men on corners who are not very discrete about their trade, but it has far less than 2008.

-Burglaries still seem pretty common, despite the reduction in visibly stoned people. However, Robberies (muggings) seem to have gone way down, despite the reduction in visibly stoned people.

While the police may have had to "do more with less" on a citywide basis, it seems that they have done "more with more" in Crown Heights.

-Franklin Ave has been an Impact Zone for several years.

-The area has had a much-discussed influx of people who don't hesitate to call the police. Housing costs have skyrocketed, as have local amenities [you know, that whole gentrification thing]

That said, are there still any really good/bad drug hotspots in the 'hood?

....For a while there was a building on the southside of Sterling (near Bedford) that had a pretty active trade, but even that seems to have calmed down.

Has everything just moved indoors to the tenements?

Still see it sometimes on the northeast corner of Franklin & Lincoln, and the northwest corner of Franklin & St. Johns, but nothing on the level that these two "hotspots" used to generate years ago.

And I've been in the same apt for about 8 years. Taking that timeline into account, the change has been dramatic.

Stacey-

I date myself even more on page 1.

Does anyone still do hash balls?

Despite a letter campaign by CHCA, I suspect Franklin Ave will soon loose its Impact Zone as a result of decreased crime here, and increased crime elsewhere.

However, I have yet to fear a return to pre-2005...

I wonder if the delivery trade is inherently less violent than street sales. It would seem more difficult to determine if a rival dealer is encroaching on your turf.

the number of drug deals going down on Franklin and Lincoln and along Lincoln to Classon is way down. Even with the shooting of the two kids in past weeks the out in the open stuff is way down. Also the crack whores and boys in front of Franklin bodegas at 5 or 6 in the morning is also down. The wino sleeping in front of Lincoln Deli is way up. Him drinking from the bag wrapped wine or beer is disgusting. I hope Lincoln Postal and the deli(the deli sponsors the guy by letting him break down a box or two and push a lazy broom) realize it does effect business and quality of life.