? for legal experts...

[The_LED_Museum]

Question: If we suspect that there is a "drug house" in our neighbourhood but have no physical evidence with which to prove it, what recourse do we have?

 

[powernoodle]

Call the cops and complain, repeatedly over several weeks or months if necessary. Encourage others to do so too. Its the squeaky wheel approach.

This is not legal advice.

cheers

 

[BB]

You might want to do that anonymously--(mail, pay phone). People that run those types of places are not beyond making your life miserable once the lawyers get the early police reports (just a suggestion--no personal experience). If you supplement the complaint with pictures/video, try to avoid taking them from your balcony/front porch (for the same reasons).

Could also be prostitution, and recently, quite a few pot farms have been in nice quiet neighborhoods.

-Bill

 

[The_LED_Museum]

My sister fears retaliation, as her car is parked in the stall (as designated for tenants) right next to the stall used by the tenants of the suspected drug house.

She also observed somebody this morning entering the house with a bag containing such items as brillo pads & glass crack stems. This person entered the house without first knocking, even though it was obvious that he did not live there.

 

[zigziggityzoo]

Silent Observer is great for things like this. especially if more than one call is made.

 

[jtr1962]

Plant incriminating evidence somewhere in the house and then call the police? Hire some muscular men to send them a message? Just kidding of course but sometimes it's frustrating when you know someone is doing something illegal but can't prove it. Also, putting aside the fact the dealing drugs is illegal, why is this a problem? Are people coming and going at all sorts of hours buying drugs? Are there addicts hanging around nearby? I'm live and let live so I probably couldn't care less if a neighbor was making drugs in their house but selling them elsewhere. On the other hand, if there were drug addicts and heavy traffic as a result of their "home business", I'd probably arrange to burn their house down somehow (and make sure they were in it when I did).

Anyway, I hope you get some satisfaction somehow. I was about to write a piece on why legalizing drugs is a good idea since it would eliminate problems like this but I'll refrain from it, as tempting as it may be.

 

[nethiker]

Sac. Police have an anonymous online suspicious activities report. If you suspect drugs they say not to use this report but they give a number to the NARC tip line.

We had a similar problem. Everyone knew this guy was dealing drugs yet nobody, myself included, wanted to go on record for turning the guy in. Life was different before I had young children. He got caught and had to move. He's out again and somewhere around. I'm glad I don't have to wonder if he's holding a grudge.

 

[I'M DK]

I'm live and let live so I probably couldn't care less if a neighbor was making drugs in their house but selling them elsewhere.

Yeah, I'm of the live and let live belief too.
If they were cooking meth and selling it in jtr1962's neiborhood I'd be OK with that.
So long as it didn't disturb the peace and quiet of my street.:touche:
When Pigs fly.

Turn them in yesterday. You don't want the scum anywhere near you for any reason at any time.
It's just an invitation for trouble.
Petty theft, burglary and car thefts increase and life gets complicated.
Let's not forget territory disputes and drive-by shootings in worst cases.

Get rid of them as fast as you can with any legal means at your disposal.

DK

 

[Brighteyez]

Interesting way of putting it. Selling Meth isn't the dangerous part but rather the whole place going up an an explosion when it's being cooked.
Disturb the peace? That could ruin your whole day!

Yeah, I'm of the live and let live belief too.
If they were cooking meth and selling it in jtr1962's neiborhood I'd be OK with that.
So long as it didn't disturb the peace and quiet of my street.

 

[BB]

I agree with the notion of reporting/getting rid of a bad tenant/neighbor... It only takes one to dramatically increase problems for everyone in the neighborhood.

-Bill

 

[I'M DK]

Brighteyes
You missed the punch line.

When Pigs fly.

My point is they are not a live and let live culture.
Their presence is a danger to civil, responsible people.
I will not turn a blind eye to their behavior on the hope no harm will come to me, my family or my community.

DK

 

[Brighteyez]

Sorry, I shouldn't have editted it out. I guess it came out a bit different tnan intended. But that wasn't my point. My point was that a Meth lab is dangerous to everyone around it. Not just in explosive potential but also in hazardous fumes. Your post just looked like it was a good place to bring it up.

Realistically though, it's not usually something that you'd find in a an urban multi-family dwelling. It would be a bit too obvious.

Brighteyes
You missed the punch line.

My point is they are not a live and let live culture.
Their presence is a danger to civil, responsible people.
I will not turn a blind eye to their behavior on the hope no harm will come to me, my family or my community.

DK

 

[tygger]

Question: If we suspect that there is a "drug house" in our neighbourhood but have no physical evidence with which to prove it, what recourse do we have?

my old apt. wasn't in the safest neighborhood so i can understand your situation. like others have said, i recommend making an Anonymous call to the police (from a payphone). it sucks, but don't forget you gotta live in that neighborhood and the last thing you wanna do is **** off people who can make your life a pain. just be cool on the surface and complain like hell. stay safe.

 

[highorder]

the first suggestion was the best one. we has a crack house 3 doors down when I was in college. enough complaints and the police took it down.

Call the cops and complain, repeatedly over several weeks or months if necessary. Encourage others to do so too. Its the squeaky wheel approach.

This is not legal advice.

cheers

 

[Art Vandelay]

I'd be careful. Like most people, guilty or not, they would probably be mad at somebody who accused them of being involved with drugs. You may have not given all the reasons you are suspicious. So far, it sounds very discrete for a crack house.

 

[dano]

There's lots to do and remain anonomous.

--http://www.sacpd.org/ Goto the SPD's website, as most police agencies have an anonomous tip line or a beat officer assigned to your specific area.

--Make notes of all who are coming and going, incl. people descriptions, car desc. license plates, etc.

--Request more frequent police presence around the complex (people are surprised to find that the Police won't patrol an area that's considered "low crime" instead, palcing resources in a high crime area. If a problem pops-up, they might not even know about it).

--If the PD wants to speak with you, or whomever, make sure it isn't done at your apartment. If you are listed as a victim/witness/reportee in a polcie report, request that your personal contact info be left out of the report, as most police reports are available to the public.

Any issues, PM me...

--dan

 

[highorder]

-If the PD wants to speak with you, or whomever, make sure it isn't done at your apartment. If you are listed as a victim/witness/reportee in a polcie report, request that your personal contact info be left out of the report, as most police reports are available to the public.

+1 stay safe.

 

[The_LED_Museum]

Besides the person with the bag of drug paraphenilia<sp?>, there are people coming & going at all hours of the day and night, there a lot of strangers that enter without knocking, and the house always smells very strongly of incense (what odour(s) are they attempting to cover up?).

 

[St8kout]

You can tell the police you don't want your name/location involved for fear of retaliation.

I do it all the time to report 'boom-box' cars in my neighborhood where they like to sit in their driveways with the doors open to impress their friends while they rattle my windows from a block away. The Sheriff's office is pretty quick to respond as they don't like the noise either. One warning of a fine usually does the trick. I explain that I don't want to wake up some morning and find my BMW trashed.

One sheriff must have known that they were going to turn the volume back up as soon as he left because I watched as he circled the block and came up on them by surprise. He turned on the flashing lights, got out, and had a long conversation with them. They've been pretty quiet since.

 

[LumenHound]

Sacramento Police Department: How can I report narcotics activity in my neighborhood?