Buffalo police did another bunch of drug raids. Some of the neighbors were happy to see drug houses raided. The chief said “Even if it is just a small drug house, it’s disruptive to the quality of life in the whole neighborhood.” Of course, the customers were not interviewed. Their preferences don’t count, do they?
If drugs are prohibited and the demand remains, where will the drugs be bought and sold? They can’t be sold in stores. That’s illegal. How about a parking lot somewhere? That attracts attention from owners, plus it’s inconvenient for customers plus it’s exposed to surveillance. The same goes for bars and restaurants or street deals. People aren’t going to travel to some isolated location for fear of being robbed. That leaves a residential house. Yes, a crack house or a marijuana house. The Commissioner said “Some of the houses were very low level, selling marijuana, while other houses were tied to violent gang activity.”
Some of the neighbors are all happy something was done, but why were those houses being used to sell drugs in the first place? That’s one of the best places to sell them from a business standpoint! There were 63 arrests. How much will it cost to hold, process, perhaps try, and maybe imprison some of these dealers? This is the 4th such series of raids this year, involving all sorts of police departments and SWAT teams. What fun they have. Does this qualify them for merit raises?
2:44 pm on September 20, 2012
