How to Take Action against Drug Dealers in the Neighborhood

How to Take Action against Drug Dealers in the Neighborhood

Drug dealers are a problem in every neighborhood. Abandoned houses and parking lots are the perfect spots for these scoundrels, but unfortunately, they’re far from the only places they hang out. Sometimes people sell drugs right from their homes, even in areas you might not expect. Of course, you would like to get rid of this threat in your neighborhood and there are things you and your community can do as well. You should not confront the drug dealers directly and never take the law into your own hands. Work as a team and always remember that you are safer walking in a group.

Find drug dealers in the neighborhood

Talk to your neighbors and other landowners in your area.

This will make it easier to find drug dealers and stop them from continuing if you work together. Maybe your neighbors saw different things.

Watch out for odd behavior.

If you think someone in your neighborhood is dealing drugs, you must look for signs. Visitors at strange times, blacked-out windows and strange smells could indicate drugs. Excessive food dealing in or out of a home with people standing around for a long time can also be a sign of drug dealers. It is also noticeable when many cars are only parked in front of the house for a short time. Graffiti or gangs in the neighborhood are often a sign, but this is not necessarily the case.

Watch out for drug paraphernalia.

Surprisingly, people don’t pay much attention to these signs, such as needles or tubes, even when the police are nearby. If you see such things, you should notify the police immediately. If you see things like this, you should not pick them up or look for more material. Note where you found it, what it was, when, and what time of day. Then you tell the police all that.

Pay attention to as many details as possible.

However, you should not address potential dealers and value your safety. Remember as many details as possible; it will help the police. Most importantly, you can watch the dealer from home if the dealer lives close to your home. If you notice that there are often cars in front of the house, you should remember which brands the cars have, write down the license plates, the color, and preferably the visiting time. Of course, if you are concerned about one person, you should write down what that person looks like, hair color, height, build, and why you are concerned about that person. If the situation can become dangerous, you should not do anything on your own and, for example, gather information or take pictures. Especially in the immediate vicinity, the dealers may know who you are.

Contact the police.

If you feel safer, you can remain anonymous. Tell the police every little detail you saw: what you think, where drugs are sold, what they look like, when their customers come, how many cars you saw, etc. Call from a place where they can see or hear dealers. You have to take care of your safety. Also, don’t tell the dealers you’ll call the police. It is always best to contact the police and leave the rest to them. If you try to stop the criminals yourself, it can end badly. Maybe it will be more difficult for the police to find the drug dealers later if you have already started actions on your own.

Going after the drug dealers in the neighborhood

You can introduce a neighborhood watch.

This often keeps the dealers from their business. The problem often resolves itself because the dealers can no longer conduct their business. Despite this, you must work closely with the police to ensure that the neighborhood watch members are well trained. You should make it known that there is now a neighborhood watch. When the dealers find out, they’ll quickly get out of there. Never try to arrest a drug dealer yourself. In the end, only people get hurt or killed.

You can also start a “block club.”

Of course, the more people from your community join, the more effective it becomes. It’s also much better than taking action on your own. This is how you put an end to drug dealers. You can do cleaning jobs in your community, such as sweeping the street or picking up trash near drug dealers. The constant presence of people may put dealers off their trades. You should go to church meetings. You will learn a lot, including about police security, and in the end, you will know how to protect your community better.

When discussing such issues as drug dealers, you need to meet in a safe place.

If your neighborhood is very dangerous, setting up a neighborhood watch or block club may not be a good idea. Instead, you should meet in a public place, at a church, or at the community center. Even a meeting a few blocks away can often guarantee more security for the members. In any case, you should never meet in just one member’s house. Otherwise, this will quickly become a target for dealers to attack.

Talk about local improvements.

For example, empty squares are a paradise for drug dealers. Contact your community and discuss whether you can remodel these spaces in a meaningful way and, for example, turn them into parking lots or playgrounds. You might even brighten up your community in the process. If there is one more good deal place, you put a stop to the dealers.

Contact the property owner.

If you think this kind of business is going on in a certain place, you can let the owner know and they may be able to do something about it. You can also ask the municipality if you don’t know who owns the property.

Fix broken cars, broken windows or broken headlights and street lamps.

Let the community know if you don’t want to do it yourself. These are small improvements, but they have a big impact.

Find out about potentially existing programs against drug dealers.

There are often already such organizations that work in close cooperation with the police. If you join such groups, together you can take down drug dealers and ensure the safety of the members.

Prevent drug dealing in the neighborhood

Ensure community cohesion.

Drug dealers prefer areas where people don’t talk to each other and live in isolation. This makes it much easier for them to trade. A strong, active community will keep the drug dealers away. Joint activities such as cooking meetings, block parties or other events also help to strengthen your community and keep drug dealers away.

Works with local businesses, churches and offices.

Maybe they’ll help you clean up parking lots or old shops. In this way, people might even get new jobs.

You can set up a youth center.

Young people often only get into the drug scene because they have no other options. A youth center may be another option. Works with companies and churches. Young people are the best ambassadors to tell their peers how bad drugs are.

Take care of educational programs in your neighborhood.

Schools, churches, and the police should help educate people about the dangers of drugs and how to prevent drug dealing in your community.

Tips

Children and young people need employment. Make sure there are enough opportunities in your community so that drugs don’t become an option in the first place. While keeping an eye out for unusual things, be aware that not everything odd necessarily points to drug dealers.

Warnings

Never arrest a drug dealer yourself; always call the police. In the end, only someone gets hurt or even killed. Never go against these criminals alone. Don’t confront the drug dealers directly or do anything that could endanger your safety. Don’t provoke anything!