Our neighborhood drug scene

Yesterday was a short day at work. We surpassed our monthly sales goal (getting sooo close to our annual goal and possible bonus!) that the owners let us shut down 2 hours early. Woohoo!

DH and I been spending the time trying to get some resolve for our excessive traffic to the house at the end our our private road for 3 houses.  It is now the end of the month and our camera recorded over 800 instances of people coming to this house - either in vehicles, on bikes or walking. Just in one month! All stay only minutes and leave.  Several cars go in and out numerous times a day, stay minutes, leave for 10-15 minutes and come back. Repeat over and over.  Several of these cars visit both the house on our street and then go to the drug house behind us.

We do everything we can think of and that is suggested by the police.  We report all the activity to the county drug tip online reporting almost daily. When the activity gets us on overload and it's 2 am or they are racing up and down our private little street, we call the non-emergency dispatch line to report it (I'd say on average a couple times a week). We have installed a security camera system. We have installed more (expensive LED) lighting on our garage that is near the street. We have put up signs around the neighborhood to call the police on all the suspicious activity, etc.

Surprisingly the summer wasn't quite so bad - not that is was good, but it wasn't crazy excessive. Not so, the past couple of months. The house has traffic to and from it non-stop now - averaging 30+ a day and 1000 a month. It seemed to coincide with the kids starting school again and the youngest (approx 16) who now attends an "alternative" high school for 2 1/2 hours each morning, when he goes. It also coincided with the return of the 19 year old son at the exact same time. I know he is a huge reason of the increased traffic, added on to the 16 year old son now getting involved and all the lowlife's he hangs out with at his new alternative high school.

Just the past few weeks there has been a camouflaged painted pick up that goes in and out on average 12-15 times a day. He comes in for a few minutes, leaves for 10-15, same old story. DH had a hunch this morning so he drove over to the alternative high school. Sure enough this pick up, along with several other cars we see go in and out all the time, is parked in the school lot. And sure enough, after they get out at 10:30 this morning (they have to go to school a whole 2 1/2 hours a day!) the pick up has been in and out of here a bunch of times.
 
DH called and spoke with the security person at the school, just making them aware that our neighbor kid and driver of this truck our is in our neighborhood most likely selling drugs, etc.


Week before last DH went over in person to the sheriff precinct to talk with the new lieutenant. He wasn't available, but the next day a Sargent called back and said they were aware of the neighborhood issue, but offered no resolve and we've heard nothing back since he got to hear our story/complaints.

We called in suspicious activity 3 times between  yesterday afternoon and 2 am this morning. Not once did a deputy come.  One car didn't have a front license plate, one no tail lights. Certainly cause to stop them.


He wrote another letter (it's been since last winter) to our county district councilman, asking for help and I wrote one more LONG report to the drug tip line. I said we are fed up beyond our patience with this, nothing is being done and it's been a year now.

DH called our power company yesterday and we will spend $250 to have them come and put another street light up on our street.

My good neighbor (who mostly buries his head in the sand and lets us do all the work to stop it) called this morning to suggest writing the councilman. I repeated more than once that HE also needs to write. That it coming from 2 neighbors will have much more impact to get help. He also offered to pay for half of the street light, but we said no. He paid for the one that is between our properties and didn't let us chip in (several years ago). He also said that he plans to put up a security camera at this light pole, something else to make them aware we are fed up. Only problem there is its not a wireless camera and he said he has to dig a trench back to run the wiring.....so knowing him it will never get done. He is the biggest procrastinator I know!


1000 incidents of traffic to this one house a month is beyond ridiculous! Even the last deputy DH talked to on the phone said if the narcotics unit was working it they'd have it taken care of in a week or two.
 
So, we are really hoping the councilman can put some pressure on the sheriff's office to get this place worked and busted. I told DH if they ever finally bust these people and there are some arrests I'm letting off fireworks to celebrate.  These people just need to go away.