DA>I saw suspicious activity of 3 people doing something behind the
DA>Village Pantry where no one was supposed to be. It was not a
DA>through way, so it was not as if they were going anywhere.  I
DA>pulled off the road into a parking lot 1/2 block away, pulled out
DA>my list of local businesses (I live next to a shopping center)
DA>from my wallet, and called the Village Pantry store to say that
DA>there were 3 men loitering behind their building.
DA>I don't think it does any *immediate* good. But it at least lets
DA>them know that there was possible drug dealing going on on their
DA>property between their building and their back fence.
DA>When I see shit like that, I don't bother calling the cops
DA>anymore, I call the business owner (or store manager, or regional
DA>manager) and let THEM know that I'm too scared to go into their
DA>store cuz there're drug dealers on their property.  Now *that*
DA>gets action!
Dave, that is absolutely brilliant!!
DA>Our local PD doesn't have time to respond to "mere" citizen's
DA>reports of "suspicous activity" any more.  Even if you were
DA>attacked, but if you don't require an ambulance, it will take up
DA>to 30 minutes for the cops to arrive.  But when a store manager
DA>calls the cops and says "we got suspicious men/teens loitering
DA>outside our building where we can't easily see them" and "these
DA>ganster-looking dudes are loitering in our lot and scaring off the
DA>customers" then the cops usually come.
And if they don't, the mayor and city council will hear about it.
DA>I have no illusions about solving anything.  If the cops roust
DA>the drug dealers for loitering often enough, the net effect is
DA>that the dealers just move to another area.
DA>I don't know about other departments, but in our local PD, the
DA>street cops don't or won't do drug busts.  The uniformed officers
DA>avoid the drug dealers and leave everything to the narcotics
DA>squad.  I found this out from several sources including local
DA>eyewitnesses, store employees, and a fireman who said that his PD
DA>buddy told him in reference to the drug dealers, "We leave them
DA>alone and they leave us alone."
No doubt these same cops wear masks when they cash their paychecks. :-)
--- PCBoard (R) v15.21/M 2
---------------