From Cops to Drug Dealers: Sit Back and Think About Your Options | Kingman Daily Miner

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TUCSON – On a Thursday evening in late August, six people identified as drug traffickers by Tucson police arrived at a substation after receiving an unusual invitation from Deputy Chief Kevin Hall.

The invitation was intriguing: after a “vast infiltration campaign”, the person had been identified as a drug dealer on the street. He or she was invited to a meeting where they would not be arrested. They would be shown the evidence the police had gathered against them, while also having the option to stop selling. The letter said more than once: “This is not a trap.”

The guests, all from the ZIP code 85705 area, were taken to a conference room and pointed to tables in the center, surrounded on three sides by police officers and community members sitting around the perimeter of the room, the Arizona Daily Star reported.

“You are here tonight because you are part of the Tucson Police Department’s drug market intervention,” Lt. Lauren Pettey told them. “Over the past year, the Tucson Police Department conducted an undercover operation in the community in 2005, and as you will see later, we have evidence that each of you sold drugs to undercover agents. “

It was the first time that Tucson Police have used the strategy, one of many new tools being used in Pima County to tackle record overdose deaths expected in 2021, which officials call a community problem that cannot to be arrested.

Pettey warned guests that the TPD “will no longer tolerate drug trafficking or violence in this neighborhood,” but that they were there that night surrounded by service providers, faith-based organizations, police and neighbors. , because they had been given a chance.

“To make positive choices and change your life,” Pettey said. “And we’ll support you if you make the right choices. “

She pointed to a white board in the front of the room with a series of nine snapshots, all of past convicted drug dealers in the neighborhood or with a history of violence who had been arrested and recently convicted. Pettey told the six guests – none identified as violent offenders – that they would face a similar outcome if they didn’t make the right choice.

“We care about you and we care about you. But understand this: continued involvement in drugs and crime will have negative consequences, ”she said. “You will no longer have this opportunity. I urge and encourage you to make a good choice.

The head of the Narcotics Bureau of the Pima County District Attorney’s Office spoke after Pettey, telling attendees about the strength of the case being built against them, which could result in up to 10 years in prison.

TPD inspector Crystal Farley put each person’s file in front of them and opened it. On the left side was a felony complaint listing the charges and probable cause, completed and ready to be filed in court. On the right side was the case file with photos and all other evidence gathered.

They were again presented with the choice to walk away from this life. If they didn’t take it, Pettey said, the next time they were caught selling, they would be arrested on the new charge as well as any charges already on file.

Community members in attendance, including several local business owners, spoke about the impact of drug use and crime on their staff, clients and livelihoods. Peer health and wellness specialists from CODAC were also on hand to chat privately with participants about drug treatment, which was offered to all participants, as well as education, job training. , transportation assistance, mentoring and help with family issues.

At the end of the session, each invited participant was given an acknowledgment form and the choice to sign. The form said he had reviewed information about potential criminal charges against them, had an opportunity to ask questions about the case, and now had the opportunity to make a positive change.

“I understand that services will be provided to help me become a productive and influential member of the community. I plan to take this opportunity to engage in services to improve my life.

All six signed the forms. And then they just stood around, laughing and chatting with the officers.

Two months later, the six participants abided by this non-binding agreement and none have been arrested.

Pettey said she was happy with the short-term response, as were neighbors and area business owners, who reported an immediate effect.

The drug market intervention strategy is sanctioned by the US Bureau of Justice Affairs, has been used in many other cities, and has been shown to be effective in reducing drug sales and violent crime and making a neighborhood to residents.

The strategy is a targeted deterrence approach to eliminating an outdoor drug market – a geographically defined area identified as a hotspot for drug sales – in a small area.

For years, parking lots, street corners and washhouses have been sites for drug dealing in 85705, an area popular with drug dealers, according to police.

The intervention strategy eliminates the market, according to researchers at Michigan State University, who developed the program. They say it also eliminates chaos and violence, resets community norms while improving security, and strengthens partnerships between law enforcement and the community.

Drug Market Interventions, or DMI, had initial success in High Point, NC in 2004 and over the years since 40 other sites have used the model, including Rockford, Illinois; Damascus Gardens, Maryland; Nashville; Seattle; and Atlanta.

Two years after High Point’s first DMI, the city was seeing a 20% reduction in violent crime across the city. In neighborhoods where the intervention was implemented, a 57% reduction in violent crime was maintained over six years. This reduction is equivalent to millions of dollars saved by the city, according to research from Michigan State University.

Atlanta has seen an almost 40% drop in violent and drug-related crime since its first DMI in 2015.

The researchers found no evidence that open-air markets are moved to other areas, saying that when residents are able to reclaim their neighborhoods after the intervention, the dynamics change.

The Tucson drug market intervention is part of the larger community crime reduction initiative Thrive in ’05, which targets an area of ​​2.6 square miles. The program is overseen by Arizona State University’s Office of Community Health, Engagement, and Resilience.

An important part of DMI makes services available to resellers who are candidates for the procedure, which is why TPD enlisted Arizona Complete Health, the Regional Behavioral Health Authority, to ensure that treatment options would be provided. .

“Now that TPD has reached out and worked with AZ Complete Health and has really brought that element, in my mind, that brings this sustainability,” said Nadia Roubicek, Thrive in the 05 program manager.

Initially, some people probably thought that dealers shouldn’t get a second chance because they were afraid of continuing to sell, Pettey said. But she said they were able to see the purpose and validity of the program. At the time the call took place, community engagement was strong.

“A lot of our community partners were really excited to be a part of this,” said Roubicek. “We had a lot of different people, a lot of involvement, a lot of desire to be involved.”

Drug market interventions are a nine-step process that does not end after resellers sign their contracts.

The appeal is the culmination of previous steps, which include crime mapping, undercover operations and mobilizing community engagement. Equally important is what happens next, Roubicek said.

Neighbors will now report to the police if they find out that the Second Chance Dealers are starting to sell again, and the police will respond quickly. With officers still performing crime mapping to identify any new salespeople who may appear to take over the business, police will be able to quickly reverse those efforts, Pettey said.

The last two steps – application and follow-up – are underway. The TPD arrested the three people who had not accepted their invitations to the appeal.

There is a strong set of checks and balances in place to ensure that DMI candidates will be successful, including automatic alerts of any new arrests, Pettey said.

Asked about the possibility of a pessimistic scenario, such as an overdose resulting from a dealer still selling while on a second chance, Pettey said:

“If we had concerns and didn’t think they would be eligible to succeed, they wouldn’t get a second chance. When someone gets out of prison they theoretically get a second chance, but sometimes they get out and commit another crime. These people were chosen on the basis of specific criteria.

The TPD is hoping that if this DMI pilot is successful, police can use the strategy in parts of town where generational transactions are taking place, Lt. Frank Hand said.

“I have been practicing this profession for decades. We’re not going to stop our way out of this problem, ”Hand said.

The Southern Arizona Counternarcotics Alliance seizes pills in such large quantities that they no longer even bother to count them and just weigh them, Captain John Leavitt said.

“We can create penalties for engaging in trafficking or selling behavior, but prevention and treatment is the long-term solution,” Leavitt said.

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