Pubdate: Mon, 31 Oct 2005 Source: Florida Today (Melbourne, FL) Copyright: 2005 Florida Today Contact: http://www.flatoday.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/532 Note: Does not accept out of town LTEs on drug policy Author: Juan Ortega TAKE, DON'T MAKE, A STAND Police Tell Residents To Be Vigilant If Problems Arise In Neighborhood Irvin Robbins has called police and talked to officers on patrol, but he said he still can peer out from behind his window blinds and see what he believes are people buying and selling drugs. The manager of a seven-apartment complex on Bay Avenue said he's sure of it: He's found remnants of drugs while cleaning up litter around the complex. "One of them even had crack cocaine in it," said the 66-year-old resident, who lives in unincorporated Brevard County near Cocoa. "So whoever bought that must have been really high and loose, or something, to drop it on the ground." But for Robbins and many other residents like him, the arrests of suspected drug dealers aren't always a simple 9-1-1 call away. Time, persistence and a little luck often are needed to complete a drug arrest. Sometimes, at least one of those factors is missing. Last year, the Brevard County Sheriff's Office received close to 300 narcotics complaints, and "it seems to be more every year," said Lt. Mike Wong with the sheriff's special-investigations unit. "I'm sitting here watching football games on Saturdays, and there's just a steady stream of cars in and out of the parking lot," Robbins said. "People riding up on bicycles, coming up on foot, some guy comes riding up on a motor scooter. It's just an open-air market." The scenario isn't unusual. Wong said investigators acknowledge any type of complaint, none goes discarded, and all the things Robbins has described doing are vital first steps. Still, authorities emphasize not getting directly involved. "Organize yourself, organize a crimewatch and let other neighbors know about what's going on. Keep a log of the coming and going of people. Take down the tag numbers. (Police are) going to want to know specifics and let the people investigate it from there," Assistant State Attorney Joe Downing said. "I'm taking down license plate numbers and calling them in, whether it does any good or not. It's all I can do," Robbins said. Telltale signs of drug houses include all-hours traffic to a house, and visitors who stay only a few minutes. But drug houses also may be desolate. For example, Wong recalls a raid a few years ago in which police broke up a "pretty elaborate" marijuana grow house in Indian Harbour Beach. The neighbor hardly saw anyone at the home, and when people were indeed spotted, they were lugging supplies such as plant containers. "The resident took note," Wong said. Even if the information doesn't bring immediate results, Wong said, it is stored in a data base for possible future use. Sheriff's deputies in Cape Canaveral try to get closer to the drug dealers and the people who watch them by patrolling on bicycles, and they've set up a small office in donated space in a small apartment complex. They know, however, they'll have to stay nimble. "These transient dealers take advantage of a particular area, create havoc, and go elsewhere," Wong said. Dolores McLaughlin often speaks of taking back the streets. As coordinator for Brevard County's Weed and Seed program, she helps communities "weed" out the drug dealers and "seed" the neighborhood with more desirable enterprises. "If you want to take control of the streets you live in, you have to have the courage to become actively involved," she said. McLaughlin said residents can call their local police departments and learn how to start a neighborhood watch group. "Secure streets. Drug dealers can't pluck everybody," McLaughlin said. - --- MAP posted-by: Beth Wehrman