Jonah at The Stranger has been all over the outcomes of the participants in the Drug Market Initiative, reporting today that the seventh of eighteen original low-level drug dealers has been picked up and now faces prosecution:
Another participant in the city’s Drug Market Initiative (DMI)—an effort aimed at eliminating the open-air drug market along the 23rd Avenue Corridor in the Central District—has failed out of the program.
King County prosecutors have filed drug possession charges against Terrance Lee Jenkins, 51, after, police records say, he was caught carrying several crack rocks and a wad of cash late last month.
As we exclusively reported back in June, the DMI program is designed to give non-violent drug dealers a choice: accept help and clean up, or else face serious jail time.
This seventh prosecution follows two who didn’t show up for the call-in meeting, one who was picked up shortly after the program began, and three others that were reported last week by Jonah.
City deputy prosecutor Tienney Milnor told us last week that individual outcomes are not the main success criteria for the program. Instead, city officials will judge the program a success if the open air drug market along 23rd avenue is “dismantled” over the long term.
Additionally, according to residents around 23rd & Union, the real-world outcome so far seems to be very positive, with a significant decrease in drug activity and the other issues that go along with it.
We’ll continue to track the stats and see if that pattern hold over the long term.
I think the traffic has just moved to cherry between 23rd and MLK…
I agree.
Absolutely have seen the shift of activity to Cherry, which may be more intractable given the poor lighting, vacant buildings (including the huge new shell of the Mann building)and open space around Garfield….
Several cars have been meeting a couple of neighborhood dealers at 25th & Jefferson for obvious buys. Dealers come up the stairs from 23rd side of Garfield and meet on the NE corner of the block. There is a car that I believe is transporting the drugs to the young dealers. Trying to get the license number for SPD.
call 911 if you see any suspicious activity
I am fairly certain the activity (source of drugs) stems from a gang leader who lives on 27th between Alder and Fir (west side of the street). Ironically a few houses south of Larry Gossett.
I second the “call 911” statement. If they are dealing & caught in these locations, they can be arrested too.
In addition, things have been very quiet at 28th & Jackson ever since the DMI took place.
I noticed an uptick in the dealing on Cherry a few weeks before the DMI meetings took place. The dealers/users using the alley next to the Twilight Exit mid-day, as well as the bus stop up the block.
no surprise that the drug market has moved down the street. Guess the addicts got to get there crack somewhere.
yes, but they will only arrest the low level dealers and the higher level guys will just find a few more low level dudes to take the heat, carry the dope, and go to jail if necessary….
Glad to see I’m not the only one that has noticed the move from 23rd and Union to 27th and Cherry. We’ve also noticed more prostitution right in front of the green apartment building on 27th and Cherry.
Do we call in the action to 911 and report the license plate of the John?
Yes