Sunday morning, 5 a.m. A network of five drug salesman worked the Morse Avenue CTA EL station with no hassle. I called 911 - and then waited. And waited. I watered the planter boxes to keep an eye on them and the police response time. I went home, got my dog and waited to see if the drug market would be put to a halt. Needless to say, the crew worked unabated until noon. It's a organized network. They're very organized.
How They Work. No change from previous Beat 2431 Open Air Drug Market operations.
* There was one look-out up on the EL tracks. Trains come and go, but he stand's there - as each one passes.
* There's a older black lady on a bike, circling the block, keeping watch and holding stuff when the police come by. There are three to a dozen street humps.
* Humpers in black t-shirts and white t-shirts, that hang to their knee. These dudes just keep walking the boundaries of Morse, Lunt, Wayne and Glenwood. Just walking back and forth, back and forth. Always looking over their shoulders too. Always holding on to the cell phone as if it's a walkie-talkie. As the day grew on, the crew grew larger and worked more of the area.
Hang-out Spots. * These salesman love to hang out in front of either the 1340 West Morse building and across the street at Morse and Wayne. The Golden Mini-Market at 1339 West Morse and Gangbang Gyros next door.
* They also use the CTA EL stop doorway entrance on both sides. (Lunt and Glenwood) But mainly they pace back and forth in the 1300 and 1400 blocks of Morse and Lunt. And all spots inbetween.
Drug Using Spots. * Behind the old Mama's Fish. This is where the drug users who don't have cars go. They smoke their crack, drink their booze, piss and shit - all in one little cubby hole.
Where They Crash. Or pad, or flop house. Whatever you want to call it. I saw one come in and out of the back of the Rider building (1340 West Morse) rear twice. Two went to take cover in the Medina building down the street at 1241 West Lunt.
BLOGNOTES: So my Sunday started at 5 a.m. by calling 911 - and ended at 9:30ish by calling 911 again. Just to try to help out. This morning at 5 a.m., it was business as usual, again. This time I didn't bother 911. It didn't seem high priority yesterday. Or maybe, they just didn't want a 'nosy neighbors' help?
47 comments:
Previous 2431 bust.
2431 Wanted Poster.
Monday morning, 8 a.m. - 8:30 a.m.
The open air drug market salesman working directly under the Blue light pod at Morse and Glenwood.
Who: Two white t-shirts humpers and one blue t-shirt look-out.
MO: If anyone believes they're hanging out working on their tan - think again. These boys are looking for drug buying customers that drive by or are going to the EL station.
If the blue light is working, it will show them sitting on cars, leaning against the wall. It won't catch the sell itself, they always go under the CTA EL viaduct to make transactions.
Any chance we could get a link up to Morse Pod #19? I'd like to post some of the stuff this camera records.
Just goes to show that blue light means nothing, any more than the police having outdoor roll calls. The bad guys and girls are determined to do what they want to do, and they are not intimidated by the law.
I have found that sometimes the police work in more subtle ways than the public is always comfortable with, especially with non-emergency, non-(immediately) violent drug complaints. From what I have seen, the process usually goes something like: (1) a problem is identified, often from citizen tips; (2) the police do a long series of undercover buys, clandestine observation, etc.; (3) the citizens wonder where on earth the cops are; (4) the cops put together a big drug bust like Operation Triple Threat and round the bad guys up all at once.
The process can be long and frustrating, especially since the police don't share much information about what's going on. But they know what will "stick" in a court of law, and they want to take the time to build a strong case against these people. In the long run, a serious sting is much better than just shooing them off the street like a flock of seagulls.
So as frustrating as the situation is, I suggest giving the police some time to sort things out. If you're really concerned, speak to your CAPS officer(s) to make SURE they know there's a problem. I wouldn't be surprised if we soon get a laudatory press release from Joe Moore boasting about a big drug bust on Morse.
I saw them at 8:20 this morning Craig. They were right in front of the blue light and under the el. I was going to call you but if I did that every time I saw this shit I'd appear to be a stalker. I tried to take a picture but it didn't turn out. I also saw a Streets and Sanitation truck power washing the pigeon mess under the Metra at Morse and Ravenswood. It confirmed to me that Joe's office read your blog.
I called 911 last night around 10:00PM because there were a lot of suspicious looking folks wandering in and out of the alley that runs from Farwell to Morse between Wayne and Lakewood.
How does one find out about block clubs?
That's a hot spot too. They use the bus stop at Morse and Lakewood. Buses come and go, but they keep sitting. The Bil Mar 6916 North Lakewood property is a hang-out/get-away building for the open air drug market salesman.
Kevin O'Neil, you getting all this information buddy?
WHERES THE BUSINESS LICENSES?
HOW MUCH IN TAXES DO THEY PAY?
WHAT ABOUT THIER CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE SSA?
I SAY SEND SOMEONE FROM THE IRS, COOK COUNTY ACCESSORS AND A SSA REPRESENTATIVE TO COLLECT BACK TAXES.
SEND A CLEAR CONSISTANT MESSAGE.
IF YOU WANT TO RUN A BUSINESS ON MORSE THEN PAY UP.
no 911, call
Cook County Assessor's Office (Main) County Building, Third Floor
118 North Clark Street, Chicago, IL 60602 (312) 443-7550
IRS
Live Telephone Assistance
Monday – Friday, 7:00 a.m. – 10:00 p.m. your local time (Alaska & Hawaii follow Pacific Time
Telephone Assistance for Businesses
Toll-Free, 1-800-829-4933.
SSA.
For more information, contact DevCorp North at (773) 508-5885.
MARGO THESE PICTURES REALLY SHOW HOW THE WORKING CLASS ARE AN EASY TARGET FOR FINES, TAXES AND OTHER COFFER ENHANCING MEANS.
PRO GUN SAID.....> "WHAT ABOUT THIER CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE SSA?"
These chior boys contribute 95% of the garbage the Special Service tax has to clean up after they're done selling, partying, and generally doing what they do.
How's that for a contribution?
did you really expect the cops to come screaming in when you called 911? as someone else said, drug busts take time to set up.
of course, treating mental health problems with law enforcement tools leads to all manner of troubles. especially wasted resources, and crooked cops.
Been There stupidly said....> "Did you really expect the cops to come screaming in when you called 911?"
Simple answer. Yes.
Once again, they know that they are unarrestable, what don't you get!
a open air drug market is a mental health problem?
These crime operations thrive around abandoned and empty buildings. That's the most shuttered section of Morse and they hide behind the closed businesses. It's one more reason closing another business on Morse, like Soo Liquors, that could have a catastrophic effect on the neighboring stores that sell grocery and sundries is a bad idea. People will start driving to the supermarket chain where they can get everything they need in one stop, including liquor and there will be less foot traffic and more shuttered businesses on Morse...
those police are being REAL subtle!
closing Soo Liquors could have a catastrophic effect?
Yes, they have to go out of the area to get liquor, presumably a supermarket. The habit of picking things up on the way home as needed, which is where the little neighborhood groceries get alot of business, because they are convenient, gets diverted to the supermarket, where people can get everything in one stop. If the liquor store on Morse is closed, I go somewhere else where I can get liquor and then I also get dinner, whatever else I need, laundry detergent, toothpaste, aspirin, tomato juice, you know, All the neighboring businesses lose the customers that want liquor as part of their shopping excursion. That's alot of people. Alot of people drink beer, wine, cocktails, and they pick it up on their way home along with any other items they need, so closing the liquor store affects the neighboring businesses when there's less shoppers.
Solving this problem is going to need a little sacrifice from everyone. Every business that supports these thugs needs to be closed. The fact that Paradise openly supports this business is faulty. The fact that you wont shop at a bigger store, because it is a big corporation, that wont allow these thugs to assemble shows how flawed you are. There are plenty of liquor stores in the area. Maybe we should organize a picket line at SOO liquors owner's home.
I got a flash for you Paradise, most folks don't set up their food shopping excursions with liquor as the number one item they have to buy. They are looking for food first. Soo Liquors is intended for the clientele who want liquor first. The rest is just gravy. Closing Soo won't be a catastrophe, although I am sure it will be inconvenient.
There are plenty of other liquors stores locally, we aren't dry! Soo Liquors needs to go!
Knox 94 - The time's a bit late for my taste and I don't the zone. Meet me at 5 p.m. at 6464 North Clark Street.
knox_94, You’re a dumbfuck punk. You’re a wannabe. Listening to bottom feaders like you make me so proud that my boy turned out so well. Someday he can give inoculations to your unwed momma’s babies. Yeah, he’ll take Medicaid. I’m guessing you’ll have a few babies before you end up like Anthony Morgan. R.I.P.
Hey-
I'm not sure if you all keep up on these things, but they are setting precedents in court, as we speak, that will allow the police to subpoena service providers for information leading back to anonymous posters if there are death threats.
Just sayin' :)
knox_94, don't you have a pile of constituant email you should be catching up on rather than playing around on Craig's blog?
;-)
For those who didn't get to read, Knox-94 offered to kill me and my dog. Nice guy huh? Then Knox -94 had a change of heart and deleted the posts before I could save them.
Must be one of Joe's people.
"WE JUST TRYING TO MAKE A LIVING BITCH"
I have a great piece of advice for you: GO BACK TO SCHOOL! You obviously have a lot of free time on your hands -- why not put it (and yourself) to good use?
Craig-
Your readers will be well advised to remember this. If knox_94 is really just some street punk logged in at a cyber cafe, it may be harder (not impossible, harder) to find them.
If, however, it is a Moore lackey logged in from the office or (JOY!) a home computer, it is a simple matter for the provider, once served with a subpoena, to trace the IP address back to a paying subscriber.
This doesn't apply to only death threats. If you make the case that continued harassment has lead to emotional suffering/disreputation and so on, you can bring civil charges against the anonymous poster.
Don't believe me? http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/06/24/autoadmit_libel_case/
you've heard the last of knox_94...
Hey Knox please bring 2 years worth of receipts to the field school playground.
The IRS and SSA would like to know what you owe them.
BY the way your IP is XXX.XXX.XXX.XXX
and the mack address is xx.xx.xx.xx.xx.xx
The trace ip .com revals you location.
Craigs friends in Washington just want you to know that they are watching you.
Kiss kiss.
You taking off Knox 94?
Must be time for Sponge Bob Square Pants...
knox is one of us going under another name, no mini thug would reference joe and they don't LOL , thats white girl stuff.
or guy, forgot the guy part.
Craig, your comments also post on your email adress you supplied to E-blogger, right?
Comments on my blog come straight to my email box, and I save them there.
Forget about your stupid Comcast email adress. Internet service adresses are limited in storage and are worthless. Besides, you might want to change service providers. Your Yahoo box is yours as long as you want it, is FREE, and follows you wherever you go. I don't bother with my RCN adress. Just open up a Yahoo box and have all your comments directed there, so you can save them in your Yahoo email box, which now has UNLIMITED STORAGE, even if the commenter deletes it on the blog.
These comments provide a very easy -to-read trail, made much easier to read if you store them in such a manner they are still with you in your personal ebox even if the author deletes them on the blog.
OK back to the drugs. At about 8:20 P.M. Monday I came across the most amazing site. I actually witnessed two African American (PC to be safe) men who were no more than mid 20s rolling a blunt, you know a gutted cigar filled with marijuana. Right at the corner of Morse and Wayne, surely in view of our local pod, and I recall passing a cop just sitting in his squad car on north Glenwood ant Morse reading the paper. What's that 25-35 feet away? Another thing. On Saturday morning I was woken up by the smell of marijuana flowing into my open window at 9 A.M.. When I looked out I saw 4 guys just chillin' smokin' away talking about what ho they funna hit up on lata and how they love smokin' weed in tha moanin. Oh yeah, they were also talking about how they were planning on breaking into someone's building and take some shit to make some money. So residents in the area keep an eye out. Until next time.
Haha!
"I finna hit 'dem skins an den steal me some shizzle for 'da buds..."
Oh well. I must say that, while reading this blog scares the bejesus out of me while I'm at work, omce I get home and sit on my porch I realize my little corner of RP ain't so bad.
Obviously the police don't have time to check in on "alleged" drug activities. They're too busy checking local dog tags on well-behaving leashed animals out for a bit of exercise and socialization to make sure they're up-to-date. Jeez Craig, get your priorities straight.
The pod is useless east of the tracks. Also pretty useless on Morse due to the trees blocking it.
Instead of hiding behind a tree and taking pictures, confront the dealers! If you are a presence on the street, they will leave. They are not going to kill you or beat you up. Just stand on the street. Yes, this requires time and effort but you obviously have plenty of both. So stop waiting for the police or your alderman (who clearly doesn't give a shit) to take action. Take matters into your own hands. At least this worked for me. Just a suggestion.
OK - this is freaking me out a little bit! I am close to purchasing a condo on Lakewood - not too far from the Morse L stop. I'm a white single female that will definitely purchase a dog - what do you think?
The Wilson Ave el stop is actually much worse. I judge both by my personal experience of the Lawrence/Broadway/Wilson area, and by the crime stats available at www.chicagocrime.org.
But just because we are "better" than crappy Uptown, the worst garbage dump on the north side, is not to say our nabe still doesn't stink in terms of crime, dirt, and larage populations of very badly socialized people.
hi
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