There was a big drug bust in my town last friday. (funny news video included))

[SlitheryDee]

A major drug bust in Ferriday has landed more than 30 people behind bars.
The FBI says it comes after a year long drug investigation. Many times when we hear these stories, we hear that neighbors are glad to see drugs off the streets.
News Channel Five's Brooke Buford found out that this time, people she spoke with say police just took away part of their livelihood.
The streets are quiet in Ferriday now, but Friday, it was different story.
"Man it was a bunch of police everywhere," said Marcus Simms, a resident. "They came and got a whole lot of people and a whole lot of snitches."
According to the FBI, early Friday morning, investigators with the support of the U.S. Marshals and Concordia Parish Sheriff's Office busted more than 30 dealers in town.
"Oh, about 200," said James Lewis, of the amount of officers he thought he saw. "They had the whole hood blocked off. You couldn't do nothing."
The arrests came after a year-long federal and state investigation targeting drug dealers and members of the "6th Street Boys" gang, who agents say are located in Ferriday.
"Every street. Every street," said Lewis. "Maryland, Carolina, Georgia - across the tracks. They were everywhere."
Federal agents say Ferriday has become a big problem over the past few years and say it was time to put a stop to the alleged illegal actions.
But Monday afternoon, residents told us right or wrong, this is the way they make money.
"You have to realize, we don't have no jobs around here or nothing," said Derrick Brown, another resident. "Every time we try to make a little something to get on our feet or try to feed our family they come kicking the doors in and knocking us back down again."
Investigators say they confiscated more than 8 oz. of crack, half a kilo of powder cocaine, marijuana, cash, cars and guns.
Agents say that's 30 fewer drug dealers off the streets for now, and more arrests could be coming.

http://www.kalb.com/story/17085038/fbi-drug-bust-in-ferriday

I'm kinda disgusted by some of my fellow Ferridians right now, but the video interviews are pretty funny.

 

[Beev]

I wish I could personally allocate where my taxes went. Because I wouldn't waste it on bullshit like this...

 

[dabuddha]

I wish I could personally allocate where my taxes went. Because I wouldn't waste it on bullshit like this...

We know you wouldn't

 

[JTsyo]

James Lewis needs to lay off the double negatives.
The amount of drugs they got seems to be low for 30 dealers. I'm a bigger fan of busting dealers than users.

 

[HardcoreRobot]

win the battle, getting CRUSHED in the war. just ridiculously embarrassed. drug policy is laughably effective and horrifically financially wasteful.

 

[ViviTheMage]

James Lewis needs to lay off the double negatives.
The amount of drugs they got seems to be low for 30 dealers. I'm a bigger fan of busting dealers than users.

I agree, and generally users snitch on their dealers...so it works out.

 

[SlitheryDee]

It kinda gave me pause to think that the source of the "little something to try to get on our feet or feed our family" that the last guy was talking about was selling crack to anyone who would buy it, including the kids at the local high school.

 

[airdata]

oh lawwwwd.

 

[Hugo Drax]

Everglades City, even the police were helping escort potential big customers. back in the 80s

 

[disappoint]

win the battle, getting CRUSHED in the war. just ridiculously embarrassed. drug policy is laughably effective and horrifically financially wasteful.

Of course it is, and I'm about to tell you why.

James Lewis needs to lay off the double negatives.
The amount of drugs they got seems to be low for 30 dealers. I'm a bigger fan of busting dealers than users.

I agree, and generally users snitch on their dealers...so it works out.

This is why it's ineffective. Because they go after dealers instead of users. If you want them to go out of business, you need to take away the demand.

Think about it, let's compare it to a business like Microsoft, or any tech company for that matter. If you put every employee at Microsoft in prison, do you think computers will go away? Of course not. Because the demand is still there and some other company will just take it's place.

Now picture if no one bought computers anymore. THAT would cull the industry down fast. It's demand that drives an industry and drugs are no different.

As long as the demand is there, you can keep putting dealers behind bars but someone else will just pick up the slack. In the end you just end up with the world's highest per capita prison population and no less drugs on the street at all.

If they were serious about getting drugs off the street they would go after users not dealers.

But they are not. You see they don't really want drugs off the street. Law enforcement is a business and like any other business if the demand for THEM goes down so their "industry" suffers. So they don't want the problem to go away because if it does then there will be less use for them and their budget will go down, and they don't want that.

 

[OlafSicky]

a year long investigation dozens of fbi agents making $100K a year and what did they get what was the street value?

 

[SpatiallyAware]

Of course it is, and I'm about to tell you why.





This is why it's ineffective. Because they go after dealers instead of users. If you want them to go out of business, you need to take away the demand.

Think about it, let's compare it to a business like Microsoft, or any tech company for that matter. If you put every employee at Microsoft in prison, do you think computers will go away? Of course not. Because the demand is still there and some other company will just take it's place.

Now picture if no one bought computers anymore. THAT would cull the industry down fast. It's demand that drives an industry and drugs are no different.

As long as the demand is there, you can keep putting dealers behind bars but someone else will just pick up the slack. In the end you just end up with the world's highest per capita prison population and no less drugs on the street at all.

If they were serious about getting drugs off the street they would go after users not dealers.

But they are not. You see they don't really want drugs off the street. Law enforcement is a business and like any other business if the demand for THEM goes down so their "industry" suffers. So they don't want the problem to go away because if it does then there will be less use for them and their budget will go down, and they don't want that.

The real answer.... there is no money to be made by busting the users. The dealers have the money, and that really is what this cycle is all about.


My issues with our current drug policies have to do with it being BLATANTLY obvious that their motives are to generate revenue for the state/feds. It's not about cleaning anything up, it's not about helping anyone, it's not about anything other than $$.

 

[nanobreath]

http://www.kalb.com/story/17085038/fbi-drug-bust-in-ferriday

I'm kinda disgusted by some of my fellow Ferridians right now, but the video interviews are pretty funny.

As soon as I saw the thread title, I knew it had to be the bust in Ferriday. The interviews are downright comical. Surprised they haven't spread further yet.

 

[Saint Nick]

IMO this was probably not worth their time. Doubt they even made so much as a dent to the local drug trade.