What To Do About That Pesky Drug Dealer?
Here’s a specific situation facing a tenant in a building but his question could also apply more broadly to illicit activity going on in the vicinity of your home: I’ve got quite the interesting situation going on in my building. I live on the first floor, and I know for a fact that there’s a…
Here’s a specific situation facing a tenant in a building but his question could also apply more broadly to illicit activity going on in the vicinity of your home:
This makes me extremely uncomfortable to know that this type of activity is so close to home. Because this goes on at all hours of the night and keeps me awake, I want to call the police and report this, but I also am wary of the “don’t snitch” edict in this neighborhood. I should also mention that even when not dealing, this guy and some friends are usually smoking blunts in the hallway (right outside my door) from 12am to 2am on weeknights.
I just don’t know what to do: (A) suck it up and wait til August and hope to get some sleep before then OR (B) call the police, hope that the dealer doesn’t figure out it’s me, and maybe have an increased chance of sleep. I’ve posted about this before, and the situation is now even worse. Anyone out there have advice?
Any thoughts?
Drug Dealer in Building [Brooklynian]
why not break the buildings buzzer? since everyone has a cell phone now what do you need it for?
witch doc, you’d be surprised. there was a guy in court today for possession of $8 of drugs.
move on, the police don’t care, the brooklyn da doesn’t care and the borough president, and your city council person don’t care. it is status quo in brooklyn.
Trespass Affadavit Program (TAP)
have the local precinct contact your landlord about joining the program that gives the police access to the building and authority to arrest anyone loitering or selling crack.
flyers will be posted warning people of imminent arrests and consequences.
don’t listen to folks telling you not to get the cops involved. it will be too late when some strung out scumbag mistakes your apartment for the place where the stash is hidden.
obviously the scumbag drug dealer didn’t give a damn about making your home part of his drug den.
and I know of what I speak, I grew up in ENY (75th) precinct during the crack heyday of the late 80’s and 90’s.
It depends on what’s being sold? Clearly this dude is an amatuer and if he’s nic’in and dim’in in the halls, shut it down. Just walk out there, mid deal and ask if they can take it somewhere else.
If that doesn’t work, move.
DO NOT CALL THE COPS.
I guess I’m too cynical…just seriously doubt the cops are going to make a great effort to catch a small fry like your neighbor. If it was a bigger operation, a crackhouse or something I could see them being motivated to break it down. But some dickweed in a lobby just because he keeps you up at night? Doubtful.
Also, OP’s line about them being too dumb to know their voices can be heard in the hallway? You don’t get it…they DON’T CARE. Your neighbors’ “don’t snitch” edict? There’s a reason.
It’s an annoyance more than anything else, and one you only have to deal with until August
Can’t you just make a noise complaint with your landlord? Tell them that your neighbor is constantly out in the hallway late at night. You don’t need to mention your suspicions of drug dealing, though the landlord will probably get the drift. If the landlord does not do something about it, send a letter invoking terms of your lease that will allow you to terminate based on noise (breach of warranty of quiet enjoyment, etc.), announcing your intention to leave at the end of the month and demanding your security deposit back. Since it does not seem that you desperately want to stay in your apartment, it seems the path of least resistance would be to move out as soon as possible. But you should create a record so the landlord cannot enforce the lease.
Also:
https://a056-crimestoppers.nyc.gov/crimestoppers/public/tipForm.cfm?pgLang=english&mwID=0
Do you actually know who it is? Skip the part about “I can hear through my door which is on the ground floor”
Honestly, I don’t know what I’d do.
I don’t trust cops. I won’t say I never have, but I’ve had enough effed up run-ins that I wouldn’t want to jeopardize my own safety by starting with the wrong cop. I think there’s a lot of reasonable advice here about going to community meetings to get your bearings and then speaking directly with one cop.
That said, you have a lot of options and you do have to use your judgment. How’s your landlord? I don’t think it is inconceivable that a landlord could intervene with some carefully worded signs. Myself, I’d start with something catchy like:
“Attention, due to a revised building policy, we’re unable to continue selling your desired narcotics at this location.”
Put that one on the outside of the door. You could even laminate it. A landlord can also notify all the tenants that “Dear Tenants, I’ve been advised that there seems to be illegal activity underway in this building. I will be installing security cameras on … to help alleviate this problem. Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have concerns, this is your home and you should feel safe in it. Sincerely, Nice Landlord.”
Actually, you could fake that one too. Maybe this is terrible advice, but it might be just enough to send the message to the dealer that a crackdown is imminent. Perhaps s/he’ll just move on.
I would *not* confront them.
If you don’t like my ideas, brainstorm a gentle way to give them a heads up that someone in the building is not cool with what is going on. And then call the cops. Honestly, if they station a patrol outside the building for a few days, your neighbor’s clientèle are going of find someplace else to score.