Drug Busts Increasing
The Herald-Sun
Friday, December 02, 2005
Police are making far more busts and seizing far more drugs in Durham this year than the year before. Why? It could be that more drugs are being smuggled into Durham, or that more citizens are reporting drug dealers, or that the police are being more aggressive against drugs. Or, and this is the most likely conclusion, it's a combination of all of them.
The figures speak clearly. From January through October of 2005, the Durham Police Department's Special Operations Division conducted 186 drug raids, compared to 139 all of last year. Police seized 222 pounds of cocaine during the 10 months this year, compared to only 83 pounds in 2004. That was a huge difference, but so was the jump in the amount of marijuana taken off the street -- 4,721 pounds this year as compared to 980 pounds last year. Similarly, officers grabbed 14.6 ounces of heroin this year compared to 2.8 ounces last year.
Those are impressive and welcome statistics, given the litany of woes that stem from the drug trade. Consider a partial list of the consequences of illegal drugs:
- Addicts commit crimes, create victims, go to prison, break up families and contribute to poverty.
- The drug trade fuels violence between dealers that impacts innocent bystanders and turns peaceful neighborhoods into dangerous places.
- Drugs steal health, wealth and human potential from users.
- The drug business is the foundation that supports violent criminal gangs.
We know that tough law enforcement isn't the only answer to illicit drug activity. Durham needs more mental health and drug rehabilitation facilities to deal with the root causes of drug abuse and addiction. But as is shown in the list above, the drug trade is not a victimless crime. Drugs must be taken seriously and dealt with aggressively by law enforcement, and we're pleased that the police force is doing so.
It's also a positive sign that citizens are feeling empowered to report drug crimes to police. Ken Gasch of Partners Against Crime, District 2, has been a leader in encouraging citizens to speak up about drugs and in pushing landlords to evict tenants who run drug houses. Only through a sustained effort by law enforcement and the community will Durham become known as a town that has no time for drug dealers.
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