Drug Market Initiative Update - The Success Stories

By scott
(6 votes) (report abuse)

There's been a lot of good reporting about the individual failures in the Drug Market Initiative, where so far seven of the original eighteen people have been arrested on drug offenses as part of the city's new program to clean up the open-air drug market along 23rd Avenue in the Central District. The program was designed to offer low-level drug users a choice: accept help and clean up, or else face serious jail time.

This morning I sat down with Kay Godefroy, Executive Director of the Seattle Neighborhood Group, to get the details on how the other program participants are doing. Her non-profit group is in charge of the social service side of the DMI program, hooking up program participants with whatever help they need to stay out of the drug business.

Overall, eleven participants are still in the program and have avoided further issues with law enforcement. Here's how they break out:

  • Two are currently in drug treatment to work on addiction issues that they previously supported through drug dealing
  • One has agreed to enter the GOTS program, which will give them housing stability, group support, and further drug treatment if they need it
  • One man is now enrolled in Bellevue Community College
  • One man wanted to go into fashion design, so a case worker found him a sewing machine to help him get started

A case worker checks in with each member at least once a week to see if they need anything to help stay clean. Each case is different, so she starts with "How are you doing?" and goes from there.

Some areas of available help haven't been used as much as program organizers thought they would be. For example, they haven't seen much interest so far in educational opportunities or job apprenticeships. But we're only six weeks into the program, and those options will still be available whenever people need them.

Kay says that family support is crucial for the program, and keeping in touch with family members has also been a key task for case workers. Families are no longer in the dark about the person's activity, and are now a force to push them to accept help when they need it.

Community support has also been heartening to the program organizers. They've had lots of offers for things like tutoring and cash contributions for specific needs. And the way the community has started to take back the intersection of 23rd & Union is also a positive sign. Last weekend's cleanup and BBQ, which included three families with strollers, was cited as a welcome development.

Seattle Neighborhood Group considers the program a success if there's no arrest activity and if the recent calm around 23rd & Union continues long-term. And Kay also downplays the toothpaste effect, where people have assumed that the dealers would just go find other locations. She points out that these dealers sold at 23rd & Union because it was near their homes. "It's not like they're going to open up business in Kent. They're still living in the neighborhood, just not dealing."

tags: Drug Market Initiative, naive + add tags
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posted on Tue, Sep 15, 2009 12:35 PM
last updated on Tue, Sep 15, 2009 12:35 PM
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I hope.... bykb4 months ago (2 votes) (report abuse) (reply)
...that she's right about the toothpaste effect. Honestly though? My admittedly circumstantial evidence indicates Kay is dead wrong. Since the DMI started, I've DEFINITELY seen increased transactional activity close to my home near Garfield HS. I'm glad 23rd and Union is cleaner, but I really hope the activity I'm seeing is a fluke and not a trend.

What have people done in the past with activity near their homes? I've called the cops before only to have them show up 30 minutes later and report that "There's nothing going on here" (no shit pal, thanks.). I know they can't be on top of every transaction all the time, so I'm not blaming the cops, but calling it in has been less than helpful. Do you take down license plates? Take pictures? Anybody have any luck with these approaches?
RE: I hope.... bymkb4 months ago (1 votes) (report abuse)
Yeah, her comments about the toothpaste effect seem more like wishful thinking than anything else. I agree that the dealers seem to have been pushed just a bit further down 23rd, rather than disappearing.
RE: I hope.... byJean4 months ago (1 votes) (report abuse)
No argument on the toothpaste effect. We saw it at 23rd & Union big-time when Deano's closed.

Are the Garfield &/or Cherry Community associations still active? I may have the names wrong. That's one place to start. There's strength in numbers and when you get together with your neighbors, good ideas & actions follow.

You might consider attending the East Precinct Crime Prevention Coalition (EPCPC) meetings listed here on the events calendar. You can connect with neighbors, SPD, Seattle Neighborhood Group and others who work constantly on crime issues. That includes alternatives like job/skills training, treatment, etc.

Yes, take license plate numbers. Keep calling 911. Take pix if it doesn't put you at risk: got a zoom lens?

AND, it's good to hear positive news about the participants in the DMI program. What they're trying to do is not easy.
RE: I hope.... byanna4 months ago (0 votes) (report abuse)
Keep calling 911 when you see something. I got a little discouraged b/c the cops always showed up late and missed what I had called about... but I talked with an officer at the clean up on saturday and he said to keep calling b/c it does make a difference.
good luck.
Anna
thanks byCDgal4 months ago (3 votes) (report abuse) (reply)
thanks, scott, for taking the time to follow up on this. it's definitely good to hear more of the positives since sometimes it's easy to forget about those and only focus on the neg.

it seems that improvement at 23rd/union is still improvement for the whole neighborhood, even if the toothpaste effect is happening. we ALL live in the CD, and just because it isn't happening on my street right now, doesn't mean it doesn't affect me.

It just means having to keep being diligent about getting programs like this to keep in business and hopefully decrease activity on the street in the long-term.
It appears to work byCD Res4 months ago (0 votes) (report abuse) (reply)
Jackson has had waaaaaaaaaaaaaaay less drug activity since this program started
Puzzling? byrubi91514 months ago (0 votes) (report abuse) (reply)
Why does it make sense to put up red light video cameras to get give tickets and not put up police monitored video camera's on Jackson, Cherry, Union etc where violent crimes happen over and over again? If the police and the criminals were sports teams the score would be 45 - 14 with the criminals winning 9 out of 10.
It has picked up on Cherry, definitely byDaniel4 months ago (0 votes) (report abuse) (reply)
We live right next to Cherry and there has definitely been lots more drug and prostitution activity around here recently. I don't know if it has anything to do with the DPI or not. The gray and green apartment buildings on 27th are always funny with people dealing. There is an apartment #4 in gray building that has had nothing but drug dealers in it ever since we lived here, they rotate out every 6 months (or are occasionally evicted) or so but the activities remain. Dick O'Connell, the owner, is a total slum lord and doesn't care who he rents the units to, especially this one.

There are two women on the block that seem to be going in an out of the #4 a lot, appear to deal and pick up clients, one of them seems like she lives out of her car.

We're moving away in a month. Glad to be going.
It's in my front yard now byTwilight Stephan4 months ago (0 votes) (report abuse) (reply)
It was worse 8-10 years ago. Don't get me wrong, but the violence is out of hand on Cherry St. and the lack of police presence there is also frightening. When one area is targeted by law enforcement it just pops up somewhere else. Now it's on Cherry St. I try to make it as uncomfortable as possible for dealers, but lights are no match for guns and knives. What to do!?!
RE: It's in my front yard now byDaniel4 months ago (0 votes) (report abuse)
Stephan, is twilight business suffering as result of this, you think? It'd be a shame if your bar was impacted...
Keep calling! byangry colt4 months ago (0 votes) (report abuse) (reply)
I recently had a drug dealing problem near my home. Calling 911 does help , call every single time. It was explained that by calling 911 you create a record. This record can be used to move resources to the affected area. As time went on response got much faster. Eventually the drug dealing moved on. It also helps to take pictures, get license numbers, and descriptions of dealers, note the date and time of the incident.

Other activities that help: Paint out graffiti as soon as it happens, keep trash picked up, landscaping should be trimmed away from sidewalks and windows, make repairs to property promptly. Keep spaces well lite, motion lights work great for this. Cars parked longer than 72 hours should be reported.

An active, clean, well maintained neighborhood is much less attractive to drug dealers. Remember these people are committing a crime, they prefer not to be noticed.
Keep Calling and ................... byBluemex on 24th and Pike4 months ago (0 votes) (report abuse) (reply)
I agree with angry colt on activities to help the neighborhood. I would add set up a neighborhood phone tree if possible. Call 911 and then call the phone tree and have them call too. Let 911 know that your neighborhood police have asked you to call and report this type of activity. Give them as much information as possible and be polite (that really helps)and let them know that this is a serious problem and it needs to be dealt with.
If there is activity close to my house I usually turn on my house alarm or my car alarm for a couple of seconds and you would be surprised how fast the interactions and activity end. Spend time talking to your neighbors on or in your yards, make your presence known. If you see illegal activities take out your cell phone and call anyone but let the people doing the activity see you on the phone and looking at them and if you have a pencil and paper act like you are writing or reading to the person on the other end of the line. And as to the point that the illegal activity is moving from one spot to another it does, it has, and it will happen. But that is nothing new it is their way of trying to avoid attention. The program is a good program and it should continue. It is working and if it helps one person get off the street and becomes an asset to the neighborhood so be it. I love my neighborhood and I want them to love their neighborhood too! And when ever possible let the police know that they are welcomed and needed in the neighborhood. Keep the neighborhood rocking!!!!
DMI Current Stats byAnonymous 2 months ago (0 votes) (report abuse) (reply)
Only 4 have been arrested for Drug Related crimes. 3 have completed in-patient treatment and are now in out-patient treatment and one is still in a long term in-patient treatment program until the end of February. 2 are in out-patient treatment and did not need in-patient treatment. 3 have disappeared and are no longer in the area. One lives in Burien and their life is back on track. 3 we are trying to get into in-patient treatment and I'm optimistic that this will happen. One is in College and is already clean and sober. This is currently the correct information at this time.
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