Dayton Street Neighborhood Association

Tired of Open-Air Drug Markets?

The Frustration

Are you sick and tired of dealing with open-air drug markets? Are you frustrated that the same people continue to occupy the same area, day in and day out, selling and buying drugs? Does it make much sense to you that this is “permitted” to continue? Open-air drug markets are extremely difficult to rid. With that said, however, it is not impossible. First, it is important to understand why they exist. The markets exist because they are, in a sense, “permitted” to exist because they are operating in an area with no resistance. An area without resistance makes the dealer’s, buyers and prostitutes feel comfortable in their doings. It is your job to “disrupt” their comfort level by creating a resistance. This can be achieved in a “behind the scenes” fashion.

There is Something YOU can do!

First and foremost, it is important to understand that the safety and well being of you and loved ones comes first. Eliminating open-air drug markets doesn’t have to involve confronting the dealers or their customers. There are other ways to rid them of your block.

Once you are certain that an open-air drug market exists, and when it is in operation, it is imperative that you contact the Cincinnati Police Department at 352-3505 and request a squad car (to your area) come to disperse an open-air drug crowd. You do not have to leave your name when calling. Call as often as necessary. Call ten times a day, or ten times an hour! The point is that you MUST CALL. By having a squad car come out, you are disrupting the comfort level of the dealers, buyers and prostitutes. They prefer to operate in an area where there is no resistance. You need to create a resistance! Additionally, be sure to keep a log of your call and record any information you gathered (i.e. make/model of vehicle, key player and what he/she was wearing, how the deal/s took place, in or around what building, did you see money exchange hands, etc…). This log could prove invaluable in the future. The police department will have a log of your complaint call as well and this is critical.

The next thing you should do is contact the property owner and let him/her know that there is “suspicious activity” on their property that resembles an open-air drug market. Remember, the activity/behavior is only “suspicious” unless you have personally purchased drugs from that area. The owner may not be aware of this activity and this letter could prove invaluable in your efforts. You can choose to sign the letter personally, or as a concerned neighbor. A standard form letter can be found at the city’s website at www.cincinnati-oh.gov (or use the link below), or you can draft a simple letter yourself. If you choose to obtain the letter from the city’s site, click on “Addressing Nuisance Complaints in Neighborhoods” (this is currently located under the “Features” section on the front page). The form letter is published inside this manual. If you are not certain who owns the property at hand, you can visit www.hamilton-co.org/Auditor/htm (or click on the link below). Click on property search, select by address, and then type in the address and hit search. As with requesting a squad car, send as many letters as necessary. Naturally, you should give the property owner adequate time to abide by your request before you send another letter.

After you have completed the aforementioned steps, the next thing you should do is to contact Sgt. William Halusek. Sgt. Halusek regularly deals with this type of thing. In your email to him, briefly explain what you think is happening, where it is, and any other pertinent details that can familiarize him with the situation. Sgt. Halusek is dedicated to cleaning up the West End and is excellent at what he does. He can be reached at William.Halusek@cincinnati-oh.gov. Be sure to copy Captain James Whalen at (james.whalen@cincinnati-oh.gov), District Sgt. Maris Herold at (maris.herold@cincinnati-oh.gov) and neighborhood officer Princess Davis at (princess.davis@cincinnati-oh.gov). This is the strong team that you need to help eliminate the open-air drug market you are concerned with.

Lastly, and only after you have thoroughly completed and worked the above steps, you should contact The Community Prosecution Section of the City of Cincinnati and specifically, Ms. Melanie Reising. The Community Prosecution Section was created to increase enforcement efforts that enhance the quality of life in Cincinnati neighborhoods. If you have successfully worked with the police department, and have a proven history (documented police requests, personal logs, other’s neighbors support) Ms. Reising may be able to prove that the property is a “nuisance” to the community and thus file a civil suit against the property owner. I can not stress enough how important your personal log is in this effort. Your log, with dates, times and brief accounts of what happened, creates a history. In the event your efforts of ridding the open-air drug market excel to this phase, “establishing a history” is vitally important. Additionally, having photos or video proof of the market is strong support. Ms. Reising can be contacted at Melanie.reising@cincinnati-oh.gov

Voice Your CONCERNS Face to Face

Remember, Captain James Whalen, Sgt. Maris Herold and Officer Princess Davis regularly attend each DSNA meeting.

Email us
kyhm@cinci.rr.com

Links

The City of Cincinnati
Hamilton County Auditor