Police ultimatum to drug dealers: Quit, or go to prison - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

link · #1 08-07-2009, 05:09 PM

By Sara Jean Green
Seattle Times

More than a dozen Central Area drug dealers voluntarily walked into an auditorium full of police and prosecutors Thursday night and were presented with an ultimatum: Stop selling dope or prepare for prison.

Confronted with photos, video clips and binders full of evidence gathered in a yearlong operation along Seattle's 23rd Avenue corridor, from Madison to Jackson streets, the dealers were promised they wouldn't be arrested, prosecuted or sent to jail for 20 months or more if they embraced the job training, educational opportunities and chemical-dependency treatment being offered them.

Should they break the bargain by selling drugs anywhere in King County, the dealers were told they'd feel the full force of the law.

"The community here cares about you but will no longer tolerate drug dealing in their neighborhoods," said Interim Seattle Police Chief John Diaz. "This isn't a joke, and it isn't a threat."

At a news conference at Seattle Police headquarters this morning, Diaz acknowledged "there's a risk in doing this," but said it's time to try something different to eliminate street-level drug dealing in the city.

"We've done sweeps, we've done undercover buys and crackdowns and we're still not getting a handle on drug dealing in our neighborhoods," he said. "We're trying to change the culture and the norms in the neighborhood."

The Thursday night gathering at the Langston Hughes Performing Arts Center was an invitation-only event, where uniformed officers checked names at the door and a who's who of Seattle's criminal justice system sat alongside the dealers' families, friends and fellow community members. For an hour, a parade of speakers took the stage to encourage the dealers to take the first-of-its-kind deal to ever be offered in the state. The "candidates," as they are called, were told to listen without comment or question.

When the hour was up, everyone filed out except for the dealers and their "people of significance" — a parent, a friend, a spouse — who were asked to stay and ask questions of the neighborhood service providers who were there to help them change the trajectory of their lives.

"I've already bought drugs from you. These binders, these are the cases I've got on you," Capt. Paul McDonagh, commander of the Seattle Police Department's East Precinct, told the men and women seated before him. "We're not playing. You have to stop today. ... And if you don't stop, we will stop you and you will go to prison."

Police and prosecutors spoke of how tired they are of the vicious cycle of arrest, prosecution and incarceration. King County Prosecutor Dan Satterberg called it "an extraordinary day," given that the gathered dealers were being offered "an opportunity no one else in the county has ever got." Vince Lombardi, an assistant U.S. attorney, warned that even those who aren't "kilo dealers" or drug-cartel members could find themselves facing federal charges and serving time in distant states if they didn't change their ways.

An addict talked of her journey to recovery and those who were there to help, while a local pastor made a spiritual appeal, imploring the dealers to change their destinies and in so doing, help heal their community. A longtime home and business owner recalled the time a body was dumped on her sidewalk and later, when a young man was shot in her front yard.

"In the mid-80s, crack cocaine came in and the whole community went to hell, excuse my language," said Jean Tinnea, who's lived at the corner of 20th and Union Streets for more than 30 years. "You are part of our community and I really hope you'll take these hands that are reaching out to you tonight and rejoin our community."

The program is based on one first implemented in High Point, North Carolina in 2004 by police and New York City professor David Kennedy, a criminologist at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice. Five years later, the city has virtually no remaining public drug dealing and violent crime has fallen 20 percent citywide, according to the college's Web site.

Kennedy, who visited Seattle in June, spent two days in private meetings with law-enforcement officials, city leaders and pastors and activists from Seattle's black community. His model, which is being replicated in places like Milwaukee, Nashville, Chicago and Indianapolis, is being backed by the U.S. Department of Justice, which awards federal grants to train officials on how to establish programs in their own hometowns.

City Attorney Tom Carr and former Police Chief Gil Kerlikowske, now the country's drug czar, applied for the federal grant last year.

Five representatives from Seattle spent months learning the ins-and-outs of the Kennedy model — called a Drug Market Initiative (DMI) — and how best to replicate it here. The team included McDonagh of the East Precinct, a deputy city attorney and a municipal court judge.

Last week, Diaz sent letters to 18 Central Area dealers that police had built evidence against, inviting them to what was dubbed a "community call-in." Sixteen attended. One person didn't show up and the other was previously arrested on an unrelated charge.

But none of the dealers invited to Thursday's meeting has convictions for violent felonies or gun charges, nor are they affiliated with a street gang, said Carr.

"This is a unique opportunity and a one-time deal," Carr told the gathering. "We built these cases not to use them. We're willing to toss them away on one condition: That you just stop."

Go back on the deal, Carr warned, "and I can prosecute you for stealing a candy bar and put you in jail for a year — and I will."

While police are offering low-level dealers an alternative to lockup, detectives are still going after the Central Area's mid- and high-level dealers and gang members, McDonagh, the East Precinct commander, said at today's news conference.

"We're still in the neighborhood," he said. "We're pursuing them and preventing them from plying their trade."

Bob Hood, the director of the Public and Community Safety Division in Carr's office and leader of Seattle's five-member DMI team, said today the ultimate goal is to dismantle the Central Area drug market. Crime data will be analyzed and the community will be surveyed in the coming months to determine if the effort is successful.

"The overall impact over the next several months should be the elimination of this drug market," Hood said. "There's nothing soft about this approach and we're willing to try what seems effective elsewhere."

aklim · #2 08-07-2009, 05:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by link

"The overall impact over the next several months should be the elimination of this drug market," Hood said. "There's nothing soft about this approach and we're willing to try what seems effective elsewhere."

And pigs will fly

Edit: Better yet. I'll believe in socialism and the wonderful nature of mankind.

POS · #3 08-07-2009, 06:42 PM

Interesting approach. Worth a shot, I guess, but I wouldn't be too hopeful.

aklim · #4 08-07-2009, 06:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by POS

Interesting approach. Worth a shot, I guess, but I wouldn't be too hopeful.

Instead of executing warrants for the dirty dozen, they try this approach. I would love to see the statistics on how many will either move away (undecided), stay and sell dope or stay and shape up. If even 2 of them stay and shape up, it will be a miracle.

Billybob · #5 08-07-2009, 07:29 PM

Divide the total amount of the actual costs by 16 "clients"! Then we'll be able to understand the "worth"! Anyone want to hazard a guess as to the amount of money in salaries alone already spent to put on this dog and pony show? What probably 20-30 cops, another 10 supervisors, maybe 10 political actors all on the taxpayer dime. I wasn't there and haven't seen any reports but who you think paid for all the street actors, the popcorn and candy bills. It's all nothing but an illusion of accomplishment show.

Come on, "the job training, educational opportunities and chemical-dependency treatment being offered them" will cost millions after, "where is my car to get to school", "I have to have a cell phone to stay in touch with my counselor", “if I don't have the designer clothes like everybody else there I'll stick out and you know how that will hurt my self esteem", "how can I work when I go to rehab, training, and school all the time", " I need high speed internet and a laptop if I'm going to be able to take full advantage of these opportunities everyone’s already paying for" and on, and on, and on.

Now don't get me wrong, I'm for complete legalization of everything and let Darwin have his way with it. But this kind of stuff is just one more anal rape of the taxpayer.

Entrepreneurism is the solution! If drug dealing is so bad put a bounty out on them and if it's not then give them a business license and a tax number like everyone else.

kip Foss · #6 08-07-2009, 08:37 PM

Regardless of the illegal activity the police always target the symptom and not the cause. Dealers, pimps, or any kind of supplier of illicit activity is only acting as a capitalist; supplying a demand. Arrest the users or make the activity legal. The idea that legalizing drugs will cause unbridled drug use is just not true. Liqueur is legal but not everyone is a drunk. Smoking is legal but less than 20% smoke. People with addictive personalities will avail themselves of what ever they can to satisfy their need regardless of the cost.

And, of course, who pays for that cost? It is the taxpayer that inevitably pays for the rehab, police, court system, jail, social downfall, etc., etc.

aklim · #7 08-07-2009, 10:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kip Foss

The idea that legalizing drugs will cause unbridled drug use is just not true. Liqueur is legal but not everyone is a drunk. Smoking is legal but less than 20% smoke. People with addictive personalities will avail themselves of what ever they can to satisfy their need regardless of the cost.

And, of course, who pays for that cost? It is the taxpayer that inevitably pays for the rehab, police, court system, jail, social downfall, etc., etc.

That just makes too much sense so let me be the first to say STFU.

link · #8 08-08-2009, 09:52 AM

> Regardless of the illegal activity the police always target the symptom and not the cause. Dealers, pimps, or any kind of supplier of illicit activity is only acting as a capitalist; supplying a demand. Arrest the users or make the activity legal. The idea that legalizing drugs will cause unbridled drug use is just not true. Liqueur is legal but not everyone is a drunk. Smoking is legal but less than 20% smoke.

There is good logic in your comments. And small slow steps are being made to the end of legalizing at least some kinds of drugs. Until then, this appears a reasonable attempt at changing the rules used in approaching this kind of problem.

> People with addictive personalities will avail themselves of what ever they can to satisfy their need regardless of the cost.

A somewhat ironic double edged comment which applies equally to “needs” of enforcement as it does to trafficking.

> And, of course, who pays for that cost? It is the taxpayer that inevitably pays for the rehab, police, court system, jail, social downfall, etc., etc.

The costs are mostly a wash. Much of the cost is fixed, no matter what the outcome. The variable appears to be to pay for court and jail time (about $40K per year) or to pay for other kinds of treatment. The municipality could send the perps to a CC or U for less $ than it costs to jail them…

It will be interesting to see if it makes a difference.

Jim B. · #9 08-08-2009, 10:17 AM

What ( if anything ) did the drug dillers who attended this meeting have to say about this afterwards?

link · #10 08-08-2009, 10:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jim B.

What ( if anything ) did the drug dillers who attended this meeting have to say about this afterwards?

All i know about this is what is in the article.

I’ll post follow ups if I see them. I’m not a regular reader of the paper. I was doing a search for a related topic and came across the article.

An acquaintance is a judge, and we’ve talked before about types of punishment for people convicted of crimes. He said that the law is greatly restrictive on what it can do and that the prospect of education as a form of rehab has been mostly off the table.

One other variant of an alternate form of punishment, that is fairly new in the realm of rehab (dating back to the ‘80s, iirc) has been the growth of treatment options for criminals who are mental. In those instances the perp can get some education and treatment. He says that it has worked to notably reduce the amount of repeat offenders.

Brian Carlton · #11 08-08-2009, 10:27 AM

So, arresting them and incarcerating them doesn't work............so we're just going to threaten them with arrest............if they don't comply???

Do I have that right??

link · #12 08-08-2009, 10:31 AM

That is one way to look at it.

But it’s not an idle threat. The LEOs have jurisdiction anywhere in the municipality and I believe the evidence can be transferred anywhere in at least the state. It strikes me as a carrot and stick attempt at a solution.

Brian Carlton · #13 08-08-2009, 10:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by link

That is one way to look at it.

But it’s not an idle threat. The LEOs have jurisdiction anywhere in the municipality and I believe the evidence can be transferred anywhere in at least the state. It strikes me as a carrot and stick attempt at a solution.

If the stick doesn't work............how will the carrot and stick ever work?

link · #14 08-08-2009, 10:37 AM

Unknown. If the rules never change there is no chance that the outcomes will.

The goal is to reduce repeat offenders. Offering a way out is one solution

According to the article, this approach has had positive results elsewhere.

Last sentence in the article: "There's nothing soft about this approach and we're willing to try what seems effective elsewhere."

aklim · #15 08-08-2009, 10:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by link

Last sentence in the article: "There's nothing soft about this approach and we're willing to try what seems effective elsewhere."

A lot of things "seem" effective until you look up close. If the dealers move to another county and set up shop there now that they are busted here, is that effective? IOW, if I push the crap onto your yard, my yard is clean but all you have done is kick the can down the road and not picked it up and disposed of it properly