Operation Spring Bling Arrests 28
Though "Operation Spring Bling" has now resulted in nearly 30 arrests, an Elizabeth City police official says no one should expect the recent roundup of drug suspects to have a lasting impact on the city's illegal drug trade.
Police may have temporarily curbed some of the nuisances associated with the drug trade -- excessive traffic and noise -- and removed several street-level drug dealers, but selling illegal narcotics is a lucrative 24-hours-a-day, seven-days-a-week business, Sgt. Gary Bray says. And as such it will go on, despite efforts like Spring Bling to stop it.
As Bray points out: "( Drug dealers ) don't take Saturdays and Sundays off and go out to their in-laws and barbecue."
At best, police were able to inconvenience customers of the city's drug trade by locking up those they regularly buy drugs from. However, if someone really wanted to buy drugs the day police unleashed Spring Bling, they could, Bray said.
"There's going to be some people that are going to go, 'Damn, I don't have my regular person'" to buy drugs from, he said. But that doesn't mean they can't still buy drugs.
Where police are able to have impact with operations like Spring Bling is community perception of crime, Bray, head of the Elizabeth City Police Department's Drug Enforcement Unit, says.
Prior to starting their investigation, police had received complaints from neighbors of six private residences about what appeared to be illegal drug activity. Citizens complained about constant traffic and excessive noise, including in the middle of the night.
"'Man, I can't even get a good night's sleep around here,'" was typical of some of the complaints, Bray said.
Shootings and violent crimes weren't a recurring problem at the six homes, he said. But it was obvious to police that there were problems in the neighborhoods that required a police response.
"It's the quality-of-life issues that really affect most citizens in these areas," Bray said.
Police soon began watching the six homes themselves, gathering intelligence on possible crimes and offenders, Bray said. Using controlled drug buys, police were able to collect enough evidence to execute search warrants at each of the six homes, and on Friday, June 19, police unleashed Spring Bling.
During the roundup, police found both drugs and weapons at several of the residences. They also arrested about a dozen of the 38 people they had warrants for. Charges ranged from possession of drug paraphernalia to rape and violent assault. As of Friday, the number of Spring Bling suspects in custody had risen to 28.
Bray said he's awaiting word from federal officials on whether any of those arrested will face federal charges.
Most of the targets of Spring Bling were chosen because they are believed to have connections to crack cocaine, Bray said.
While marijuana may be more plentiful, it is not as serious a problem as crack, he said.
"Crack is the one ( drug ) that really destroys people's lives," Bray said.
Police can't completely end the sale of crack but they can try to reduce it and the gang-related violence that accompanies it, he said. Gangs sometimes steal cars or guns and sell them to make money, but generally their income comes from selling drugs, Bray said.
"The only way gangs can make money here in Elizabeth City is sell dope or rob people," Bray said.
Bray said he likes to conduct about two operations like Spring Bling a year. He'd like to do more, but drug roundups require a lot of police legwork and are heavily dependent on help from the public.
Bray said residents aren't "beating down the doors" to help out police. Usually it's because offering such help can be risky for both themselves and their families, he said.
URL: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v09/n665/a12.html
Newshawk: chip
Votes: 0
Pubdate: Sun, 28 Jun 2009
Source: Daily Advance, The (Elizabeth City, NC)
Copyright: 2009 Cox Newspapers, Inc.
Contact: elizabethcity@coxnc.com
Website: http://www.dailyadvance.com
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1700
Author: Diana Mazzella, Staff Writer
