November 16, 2002
Sent this to a city councilor today:
Thinking out loud here and have a couple of ideas in the fighting drug crime and making Beloit less drug-crime friendly.
(A) Toughen up (not sure that's necessary) and enforce laws regarding TINTED WINDOWS on vehicles. Think how annoying it would be to the drug dealers if they knew coming into Beloit in such a vehicle would automatically be a traffic stop. Using the linked computer systems, officers could track and ID 'good' and 'bad' and 'suspect' vehicles like this in real time.
(B) SCALES - Weighing and measuring capable of under 2 gram sensitivity range are VERY popular with drug dealers (and dieters). They are also one of the most returned items in Stores! It's almost like people are 'borrowing' them! Look at an ordinance similar to the spray paint ordinance passed last year to fight grafitti.
It might possibly cover:
(1) Restrict age to 18 (even 21 like liquor) or over to purchase scales with a senstitivity of 2 grams or less.
(2) Require an ID and the recording of contact information on all returns of such merchandize. That information is to be filed by retailers and made available to investigators upon request.
(3) Require retailers to charge at least a 15% restocking fee on returns of such merchandize (retailer's option to charge more). Also include a stipulation that 5% of the fees charged will be paid to the city to help defray SOME of the costs of program.
(4) Market and promote this as a Public-Private partnership to fight drugs and drug dealing.
Need to research the scales most commonly used by drug dealers - and target that merchandize. Maybe there's more than scales involved, too. I don't know, I don't have much experience with this stuff. The police, fire, chemists, retailers, and social workers should be consulted. If other merchandize is identified, similar efforts to regulate those sales should be investigated.
Ex: Nextel Cell Phones are very popular with businesses, but they are also the drug dealer's cell phone of choice. Verizon's Pre-Paid Free-UP and Tracfone cell phones (advertised extensively on MTV) are quickly becoming popular with drug dealers.
Also note... these kinds of people are low-end dealers - the ones at the street corners, but they point the way to the really bad dudes and attract them like moths to a street lamp. They are probably frequent targets of drug enforcers and the drive-by stuff.
ANYTHING to discourage this stuff IN BELOIT should be considered. My God... how can we be willing to re-route traffic for blocks and not be willing to take the little puppy steps suggested above?
