You shouldnt be telling on people. we all have walks of life. and some are good and some are bad.

Ok, I should not have used the P word to describe the police but we need them to at least drive through out neighborhood.
The situation is very frustrating for me!

We live on 67th between just east of 8th.
Our corner is a local meeting place for drug deals. A few weeks ago I witnessed a woman parked in front to our house shooting up in the driver seat of her car. She then drove off. We have called the pigs on several occasions. They never once came out or tried to stake out the corner. I have lived here for two years and have never seen a patrol car on our street. With the increased drug activity, we have also experienced car theft and home break-ins!
I will be shooting video this week in an attempt to get some proof.
We are not talking about pot here! This is very serious.

This is a world wide problem. we have to understand that they ( the police) cant be responsible for everything

Gee whiz, and I was just looking for a roadmap of places to score the good stuff. Maybe a little more discretion when describing where the deals are & just who to speak with to obtain these products... I mean, unless you want potential junkies lined up around the block, but maybe it'll clear out those pot smoking kids by the high school (now that they know where to find something better than the dirt-weed they're currently enjoying).
Nonetheless, the good intentions are much appreciated. And, yeah, bringing back the SPD storefront in Ballard would be great.
Have a nice day.

Kudos to Bingo for lightening the mood. It's true that not all illegal drug activity is extremely threatening -- and, I think, a climate of fear gives more power to the real creeps (meth, coke, heroin dealers).

Let's act, but let's be smart about it.

I remember the summer I first tried pot and the first time I ran out. This is back in the early eighties. A sister of a friend suggested driving out to Golden Gardens; lots of weed out there.
I was skeptical. "What" I asked, "someone's just going to come up to my car and offer to sell us some dope? Right there in public?"
Well, nothing ventured, nothing gained so we all piled in the big brown Imperial and headed out to Ballard.
There was a big line of cars going into the park, stop and go all the way. It must have taken at least ten minutes to drive from the entrance to the pedestrian tunnel under the tracks. There was one long line of cars driving into the main parking lot, looping through and coming back out. Son of a gun, some guy came right up to my window and asked "Looking for bud?" Good times. I could have kissed my friend's sister. Should have, in fact.
For a couple of years, before the city stepped in, that was a great place to go for drugs and many's the time I took that slow drive through Golden Gardens.
All well, perhaps someday we can buy it at a store and everyone will be happy.

Thanks, MG, for sharing what you know with the rest of us. Great info!

It's really sad that this is happening in our area. I'm surprised about Sunset Hill, because I go there to watch the susnet quite often. I guess I've had my head in the sand all this time.

Its allways going on under your nose because people from all walks of life do drugs. Allways have in history. Whatever drug is out there someone is doing them and someone is selling them. SUPPLY AND DEMAND

The SPD had a store front on Market Street a few years back. Is it time they got another one?

Following up on my earlier post about Belltown, the PI published a column today talking about the intensifying drug problem there:

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/jamieson/372633_r...

MG - What a fantastic post!! Your block is lucky to have you!

I'm really glad this conversation is happening. It's all too easy to look away, and hope that it will all go away on it's own. Or ignore that this is becoming a problem in Ballard.

And it's OK to believe and want Ballard to be a place where drug use and the selling of drugs is minimal. There is no reason why we all should be complacent with what is going on, and just figure that given the changes in Ballard that this is the way we are headed.

I live near the Loyal Heights Community Center. And live on a block that has a very strong bond and look out for each other and our homes. (In fact, that part did not take much effort, everyone was more than willing to exchange #'s and emails, and come to block events).

A renter moved in to a home across the street, within weeks myself and other neighbors noticed late-night activity, lots of visitors coming and going, closed blinds, strange deliveries, etc. It became our mission to track the going-ons at his home, pay attention, record license plates, and to try to get to know him. On the few occasions he was outside, I'd try to make small talk with him to try to get a better idea of what his deal was.

After a month or so of this, I contacted our local precinct officer, to ask what we can do. He took my info and became my contact person and also set me up with the narcotics unit of the SPD. I then contacted that person directly, explained my concern. He asked me to try to observe the activity and try to get a general "routine" of the activity. They would then send undercover officers to patrol the area.

The precinct officer also said that the MORE PEOPLE that call in to complain the higher the priority to issue becomes. He also told me that it is a known fact that theft, property damage & crime do increase with drug dealing. So it was no coincidence that local home & car theft in the area was due to what was going on there and in other areas of Ballard.

It wasn't long that the owners of the home were notified of their renter, and decided to move back to Seattle and have him move out. And not so coincidentally, theft in the immediate area has nearly disappeared. (I'm the block watch captain for our block, many people email me when theft occurs in the immediate area).

BTW, I too have seen pot use and dealing at Sunset Park. I call the police when I see it. I do see police patrolling the area often.

All I can say is, TAKE ACTION. Don't look the other way.

Email/call:
Neil Hansen
(206)684-4689
neil.hansen@seattle.gov
CRIME PREVENTION COORDINATOR
North Precinct

Then, get in touch with a narcotics officer you can call directly. And be persistent. Don't just leave one message, keep calling back.

And, start a block watch for your block, apartment, townhomes! Step up and be the block watch captain, collect emails, organize a party (The Annual Block Watch Night Out is next Tuesday!) I think any criminal that drove up our block would see that we are a tight knit group, we are always outside, always observant.

Sorry for the long rant, taking ACTION is the key. If the drug dealers and users know that this behavior is not welcome here, eventually they will take it somewhere else. That's why they came to Ballard in the first place, it's an easy target...but it doesn't have to be.

Coke dealers have been hanging around outside of the Lock and Keel for several weekends atleast.

Surprising to me that the people who run that great bar haven't run them off.

they could be users too.

If we let this problem begin, it will grow. I moved to Ballard / Crown Hill after living 216th in SeaTac, where drug dealing is done openly all day and night.

I moved here to get away from it, but I see similar signs and actions happening around the Crown Hill QFC.

People are right. We aren't talking about pot. This is coke, heroin, and crack. In all my experiences the cops will always show up too late. The drug dealers and users know what they are doing. They swoop in and swoop out. It will take community action to stop it. If the police won't guard our neighborhoods, we, as citizens, must patrol for the safety of our families and ourselves.

If the police won't take this problem seriously, shame on them.

I am not worried about the homeless guy in the park. But I am worried about the young, powerful dealers who enlist the youth to run for them.

This is obviously a problem affecting this area. What are our next steps? As I said, I am new to the area. Somewhere who visits this site must have access to our local city or neighborhood councils and to the police.

Tips:

Get license plates
Take pictures
Record vidoes

The more proof you provide to the police eases their job. Also, as a crowd, approach the sellers and users. Do not be afraid. They don't want to be seen. Make noise and you'll scare them off. Remember, they are doing a business and can sell drugs anywhere. Make it hard for them and they will find an easier place to set up shop.

Making a difference begins with you.

Those dismissive posts (I'm referring to ET and Brian, among others) are probably among the dealers and buyers trying to pass off dealing on the streets and in the parks as mainstream. Don't misunderstand me, I support some decriminalization of drugs. However, I am concerned that the "meeting place" a block away from my house is an opportunity to case the neighborhood for other criminal activity.

Well, BOOZE is the gateway drug...and there's all these bars, taverns and wines bars around the neighborhood...so yeah, Ballard is a scary place.

Gotta...get...to...a...coffee...shop...now.

I'm never going to leave my house again!

...

...

Drugs!

Oops, I meant to say "Latinos of Northern Central American Descent"

...not to be mistaken as members of the notorious Scandhoovian Drug Cartel.

We're not talking about high school kids and pot. This is " the nasty dangerous stuff" being sold in a residential area during broad daylight. I see it happen from my living room window and it scares the crap outta me.

This politically correctness is just driving me crazy. If he was a MEXICAN, we shouldn’t be afraid to say it loud. If he came from Mexico, he is Mexican. If he moved here from Africa he is an African, not African-American. I came from Russia and I am Russian; I don’t call my self Russian-American or other names….. So,why do some people are getting offended????

Anyone who regularly walks a dog late at night around Sunset Hill Park will see drug sales or solicitations. I have seen quite a few silent cash transactions between drivers on the street in front of Sunset Hill Park, and have even heard calls of solicitation from drivers pulling up to people standing on the sidewalk of this park: "Got any______." They don't hang out for long, but it's definitely a regular spot to meet for illegal business transactions.

For 19 dollars, you can send your whole office to listen to Colin Powell!

http://www.getmotivated.com/city.aspx?a=4990

Have we considered hiring mobile motivational speakers to patrol the city?

We're just afraid that pot could lead to other things...

Crack, ice, boom, pow. But we're your parents. Who wants to hear this stuff from their parents?

So we've gotten a motivational speaker.

His name is Matt Foley and he's been down in the basement drinking coffee for the last four hours.

Folks, who cares about weed? I'm more concerned about the rock, tweek and smack. Where there is those three, there is violence, theft and property damage to follow.

The grassy area by the sloop is for the homeless, for the most part. They're out there during the day, who cares.

Better question is there a Seattle Police community policing effort at all? Where the police who actually work the Ballard area would meet at one location on a weekly or monthly basis to go over some of this? I know the SPD presence in Ballard is very minimal, but it doesn't take a rocket scientist to know the area around the hospital is one of the problem spots.

Perhaps if all the Ballard hipsters complaining about Dennys spent their time working with the police on this, the problem might be a bit smaller.

This isn't about high school kids or pot. This is about nasty drugs being peddled in relatively idyllic, quiet neighborhoods - because that's where the cops aren't! The folks I saw today looked like worn down tweakers who lived out of their Toyota van. The guys who delivered weren't from 'round these parts either. It's precisely because things are so quiet that they choose this area as a rendezvous.

I guess so, cherie, since I can smell the pot wafting through my open windows during their lunch hour. Too bad. And, why do people think we have such serious social issues in this country? It's not the drugs you say? Legalize them you say? Yeah, let’s just go ahead and whack the hornet's nest and see what we get.

Duhh, Ballard. Ballard High is totally known as one of the druggie schools.

So, Ballard’s not the utopia we thought it was? With well-meaning folks, trying to live a peaceful, responsible, enlightened, and drug-free existence? I thought we were immune from the dark-side of city life. I have never seen blatant drug-deals going down, but I have seen an increase in gangster looking cars (tricked-out late model vehicles with dark tinted windows, chrome mag wheels, (sorry, but I’m profiling here) and loud rap music blaring. Since I don’t gallivant around the neighborhood at late hours of the night, I don’t see much of this. This is one more reason why I’ll stick to that policy.

Uh, it's definitely west of 24th as well. Every gone by the "park" next to the Sloop? I like the Sloop, but that park creeps me out.

Late Saturday night I was walking past the Carnegie and one of the homeless folks (in a sleeping bag, of course) asked for a joint. Right there on Market!

I live on 60th and 34th Ave NW on Sunset Hill. I just saw the 4th deal in the last 2 weeks near this intersection. Got the license plate of one of the cars and called the cops. They dutifully took my info. I wonder how many I haven't seen...

What's interesting to watch here is how Belltown (where I used to live) has become a drug-selling haven over the last few years. It used to be somewhat isolated to downtown and Capitol Hill, but moved into the land of condos and late-night clubs. I suspect we're seeing more of this here, although the evidence is only anecdotal. We'll keep an eye on the police reports to see what we can find.

"Scary looking Mexican dealers..." Seriously?

Talk about racial profiling. Jesus.

Way to perpetuate stereotypes Milodakkat.

I agree, a White drug dealer is just as bad and so is an African American one. What they are is drug dealers and there race does not matter at all. unless Milodakkat thinks that it is only one type. he is probably scary to him cause he is a punk anyway.

I'm west of 24th, cant wait to upgrade and be west of 32nd!! : )

Lordy, don't get me started on this one...

This morning I was sitting on my porch and a red pickup pulled into spot where our local dealers do their business. I thought "now wtf?" The two skanky people in the car shut off the engine, pulled out their crack pipes, did a simultaneous long toke, started the car and drove off.

This was almost humorous but the regular dealing that goes on at the corner is really a drag. This isn't light-hearted partyers. This is some scary looking mexican dealers at the same time every afternoon in a neighborhood of houses with a lot of children.

It really really sucks. There isn't much the cops can do but when they do respond to calls on this blocklong stretch of perpetual bullshit, they always find something to keep them busy.

Well, there is a drug rehab clinic at Swedish.

Every time I go to get my blood drawn at dynacare, they try and convince me that they can get my veins because they can get the heroin addicts. I disagree and usually end up with a collapsed vein. But anyway...

Angrignon gets to walk by the homeless people every day and some times sees IV drug users shooting up.

But don't worry those of you west of 24th.... they aren't coming to your neighborhood. Just ours east of 24th...

I hope it's not the pot!

Oh no not drug deals.