Just in the last week or so the little hoppers* have made a sudden reappearance doing business in and around the alley. I’m happy to report that Friday night around 6:45, the narco police busted a kid in the alley who was dealing drugs out of his socks. Less than 24 hours later, the narco police got another little hopper in almost the exact same location. Watching these events unfold is so much better than anything on TV.
* A young, street-level drug dealer. (Urban Dictionary)
Monday, September 24, 2007 at 12: 23 pm |
AH-
I am happy to hear that the police are attempting to clean up PIGTOWN, but my question is what did that arrest solve? Didn’t you just say that almost 24hours later another CHILD was arrested for the same thing? You should not rejoice in the woes of others. All that jail has and will do is to create a hardened criminal that is more dangerous than before. Thanks!
YBFF*
-Richard
*Your Best Friend Forever (From a television commercial)
Monday, September 24, 2007 at 12: 59 pm |
DF: What did it solve? Well, it got them off my block and my neighbors and I have had two quiet days and nights in a row. For the record, these “children” are over the age of 18 and not residents of these blocks. And what about the woes that law-abiding people have to endure day in and day out? Why not look at this as a reprieve from OUR woes and see that as something worth celebrating.
Monday, September 24, 2007 at 1: 22 pm |
Maybe “dick” doesn’t wish to rejoice in the woes of others but I will happily rejoice with you, AH, I say use the ratkil on the hoppers. Your BFF probably doesn’t live in Pigtown and have to endure being terrified day in and day out by these morons that are probably carrying a gun and wants nothing more than to drive hardworking people out of their homes so they can sell their drugs freely without encumbrance from the po-po. I couldn’t care less if these folks end up being hardened criminals, as long as they do it while in prison, or ideally, while being dead.
Monday, September 24, 2007 at 3: 18 pm |
AH,
Dick represents a special type of Internet troll.
Really, rat poison? Too friendly, I think we need to go back to the days of old fashioned drawing and quartering.
I saw a hand to hand go down in front of me the other day. The dealer took off on a bike but I let the buyer have it. I don’t think he will be back.
Monday, September 24, 2007 at 7: 53 pm |
An Internet Troll? Jesus, those dudes are everywhere! If only there were an (in)humane way to rid us of them.
Monday, September 24, 2007 at 7: 58 pm |
Mr. Fitzgood is indeed a rather interesting Internet troll. If indeed he has a blog as he has stated in another thread, I would be interested in reading whatever pablum he spews forth. We could then return the favor that he is so charitably bestowing upon the rest of us.
It would appear that Mr. Fitzgood is not a terribly astute person, forgetting the obvious deterrent effect such arrests have on the criminal element. Police activity such as this deters future activity, as this hopper and his ilk communicate and get the message that Pigtown is not a terribly good place to be “slinging.” Deterrence in this manner is much like that a superior military or nuclear force in international relations, and the tenets that apply there can also be applied with some modification to crime-fighting.
As for the “woes of others” argument, there is an element of choice involved in this matter. The “hopper” had a choice to either deal drugs or not. He made the choice to deal drugs, and as a result of that poor choice, he must now face the consequences. Mr. Fitzgood can reply by spouting all sorts of social science detailing how the extremely poor have little “choice” when they are a product of their challenging environment. To that I say “Bullocks,” as I know many others who have made the right choices and are not drug dealers.
There is no rejoicing in the “woes of others” here. Instead, the post is a somewhat heartening post-script to life in a neighborhood that is in transition.
Tuesday, September 25, 2007 at 2: 48 am |
Maybe DT simply meant to imply that, as we have very little in way of an effective system of rehabilitation, that the drug dealer in question has just gotten a 48-hour of vacation stewing in a jail cell somewhere, and will return to his life of crime as soon as he is able, with no option or opportunity to reform his life. And that while AH and her neighbors may have recieved a brief respite from the drug trade, that until Baltimore gets its act together and cracks down and cleans up and puts effective social programs in place to treat the city’s festering wounds, the cycle simply continues.
But I might be reading too much into the comment.
Tuesday, September 25, 2007 at 4: 14 am |
Well Dick,
We could always get lucky and perhaps the little hoppers would be knifed to death at central booking. Problem solved, one less to annoy us. Now if only they could learn to hit what they are aiming at…
ER NURSE.
Tuesday, September 25, 2007 at 9: 03 am |
Snay, I am not sure how much time you spend in the hood but the little hopper is not exactly devoid of many legal employment opportunities in Baltimore City. Mind you, I can see why the hopper doesn’t want to operate the fryolator at the local Mickey Dees for minimum wage, I wouldn’t want that job either. But what you may not understand is the hopper has a very good skillset already which translates very well to cell phone sales manager or bail bondsman. Here in the hood those two lines of work are plentiful, lucrative and many of the former dealers get released from prison to become extremely successful legal business people. Drug distribution representatives often have excellent people skills, try talking to the boys on the corner and you will see how pleasant and friendly they can be even if you don’t wish to purchase their product.
Tuesday, September 25, 2007 at 9: 38 am |
Cham –
But with the exception of being locked up and the possibility of being shot, what motivation does the hopper have to seek out a change to his lifestyle? Everything I know about drug dealing I learned from TV, true, but I think youngsters in Baltimore who gravitate towards the drug trade have probably gotten it in their head that the “drug dealin’” life style is glamerous and well-paying, and probably more so than being a cell-phone sales manager or a bail bondsman. And are the police or anyone taking the time to talk to these kids and saying “Hey, you know, if you went straight, and did like sales, you could make a lot of money and not risk getting yourself thrown in jail?” Because, really, if the hoppers aren’t aware that these opportunities might exist for them, they might as well not exist at all.
Tuesday, September 25, 2007 at 12: 01 pm |
Singapore has a very effective “social program” for drug dealers. Its primary components are a rope, a noose and a drop of approximately six feet. Apparently they have 100% “rehabilitation” rate.
Tuesday, September 25, 2007 at 12: 56 pm |
The hoppers are well aware of alternative employment opportunities. We aren’t talking about helpless illiterate Sambos here were all they are able to do is clean out livestock stalls. Most of these kids have the smarts, and, yes, you can make a killing in the cell phone biz if you wish. Contrary to what you see on TV, these kids know the score and don’t have any preconceived notions regarding where drug dealing leads and they are going to be selling to the absolute scum-of-the-earth customers. Drug dealing, though, is the easiest employment opportunity for anyone in the hood. Just about any distributer will front you a few dollars worth of drugs for corner sales, just as long as you remember to pay him back in a timely fashion. Et viola, an easy career start! No interview, no resume and you can wear what you wish to your corner. Just about all hoppers get locked up at one point, some become career criminals but many find alternative employment opportunities rather quickly after their release.
Tuesday, September 25, 2007 at 3: 18 pm |
One thing people need to keep in mind is that the street-level guys DO NOT make the kind of money you see on TV. Once they hand in their money to the next-level guy, the street level kid has made less than minimum wage. There is indeed a financial incentive for them to “go straight” — some of them honestly don’t want to, and some are no better off than slaves or indentured servants.
But because the culture of drugs is glorified in music and on TV, it’s hard to compete with that — remember, we’re discussing children here (for the most part). God knows I’ve spent enough Sunday night dinners with some of them — and the vast majority of these kids honestly believe they have no other choice, and the rest don’t give a damn.
I have to wonder what Dick does to better his community. It’s so damned easy to talk the talk…far more difficult to extend yourself and try to do something positive for the ones who are worth saving.
Tuesday, September 25, 2007 at 6: 58 pm |
I hope the police keep up the good work, AH. Unfortunately, they often make a few arrests and call it day!
Wednesday, September 26, 2007 at 8: 51 am |
Well Ladies and Gentlemen-
I have said it before and I will say it again and again and again. Arresting a few drug dealers a day does not stop the onslaught in our communities. Baltimore needs comprehensive rehabilitation centers and without the rehab centers your comments are meaningless. Once people are arrested and convicted what is left for them? Nothing, but a life of drug dealing, pimping, and using.
Instead of you all whining, why don’t you donate some money and time to an organization like FOXO (Fellowship of Ex Offenders). Mr. Bey seems to do what he can to help to rehabilitate the youth of Baltimore and to prevent them from following the same path. You want to help out your neighborhood. Help a group that is trying to help you.
Wednesday, September 26, 2007 at 3: 40 pm |
@ppatin
I’ve always thought the US should be more like Singapore.
Wednesday, September 26, 2007 at 3: 47 pm |
DFitz: This is, of course, assuming that everyone one doing drugs or dealing drugs wants to get off of drugs or get out of the game of dealing them. Such is not always the case, especially with junkies. Many of them simply do not want rehabilitation – just do a random survey among the walking dead in Pigtown. What do you do when people don’t want help? That doesn’t make addiction, and all the ills that go along with it, go away.
Wednesday, September 26, 2007 at 7: 39 pm |
Dick says:
“Arresting a few drug dealers a day does not stop the onslaught in our communities.”
Yes it does. Drug dealers tend to congregate where dealing is accepted. If many people in a community call the police, their elected representatives and complain to the judicial system it is amazing how quickly the drug dealing community finds somewhere else to do business. The dealers hate dealing with arrests, lock-ups, court dates and prisons. If the dealers change neighborhoods then the junkies follow like lost little lambs. Just because we choose to live in Baltimore City doesn’t mean we are responsible for the well being and happiness of the dealers and junkies. If all people in all neighborhoods get sick and tired of the dealers then they will go away on their own, along with the druggies. When a hood starts offering rehabs the druggies start congregating, just look at SoWeBo.
Wednesday, September 26, 2007 at 11: 24 pm |
Yay!
ps this Dick person seems to have a real boner for you!
Lucky you!
Bwhahahahahahahahaha
Thursday, September 27, 2007 at 3: 22 pm |
this is turning out to be quite the internet fight! Love the backhandery and shameless insultificationism. You guys rule.
Friday, September 28, 2007 at 12: 46 pm |
I just now noticed the rat at the top of the page. As I’m eating. Eew.
—-
AH: You know you love it.