The Belleville Police Department has new signs that will be posted with an arrow pointing toward the residence after an arrest is made in drug sale cases.
Originally published February 4, 2010 at 1 p.m., updated February 4, 2010 at 1 p.m.
These signs will be posted with an arrow pointing toward the residence after an arrest is made in drug sale cases.
Belleville individuals who are arrested for selling drugs out of their home will now have signs posted near their residence to alert their neighbors, according to the Belleville Police Department.
The signs will be posted for one day and state: “Warning drug house enter at your own risk,” with an arrow pointing toward the residence of the individual who was arrested.
The first sign was posted on the 300 block of West H St. on Wednesday afternoon.
Capt. Donald Sax, of the Belleville Police Department said the police hope the signs will raise awareness of drug dealing activity throughout the community.
“So often with drug investigations the majority of people in the neighborhood see different activities but don’t put the pieces together,” he said.
Police said letters will be also be distributed to the neighbors, property owners and or rental property management companies to notify them of the arrest and offer examples of visible clues that may indicate drug activity at a residence.
A tip line has also been established for citizens to call and leave information about any locations where drug activity is occurring.
The number is 618-234-1218 x686 messages may be left anonymously by the caller.
Sax said the drug signs are also a way for police to assure residents their concerns are taken seriously.
“It’s our way to let the public know we are listening to calls and we are out there constantly,” Sax said.
Some Belleville residents said they were surprised by the sign policy and don’t think it will change anything. “That’s not going to stop the drug problem,” one Belleville woman said. “It’s just going to make the neighborhoods look bad.”
Another Belleville man suggested the signs would make the drug problem worse because they will point people who want to buy drugs directly to a dealer.
Sax said police discussed this possibility and don’t think it’s likely. “How many people are really going to go buy drugs at a house that they know police are watching and know it’s a drug house?” he said.
Mike Reiff, of Belleville said the signs might help eliminate drug use--but they also negatively label family members or others who may live at the same residence as the arrested individual.
“That’s pointing the finger at everyone in the family,” Reiff said. “What if I had a child who was caught with drugs?”
Sax said each time someone is arrested for dealing drugs from their residence, police will look at the case individually and consider what is in the best interest of the neighborhood before a sign is posted.
Comments
mrsbird3274 (anonymous) says...
This is great! Good for Belleville PD!!
February 4, 2010 at 11:34 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
nkasoff (anonymous) says...
Another piece of insanity from the "war on drugs." How about the right to a presumption of innocence? When the government sends out letters to the neighborhood, and posts a sign in front of your house, before you've been convicted, they are turning that presumption upside-down. In fact, one might argue that they are even poisoning the very jury pool that is going to try the offender.
February 4, 2010 at 3:52 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Bill (anonymous) says...
All they are doing is alerting the public that a drug bust was made at that residence, that's not a conviction and poising the jury pool, that is a joke. They are just sending out public information.
February 5, 2010 at 6:07 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Rune04 (anonymous) says...
Is this the sign (pun intended) of things to come. Imagine running a stop sign and having this in front of your house: Warning reckless driver lives here. What would the sign say if the person was busted for solicitation???
February 5, 2010 at 11:48 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )