Is There a Drug House on Your Street? Warning Signs of Neighborhood Drug Activity

During these troubling times, Americans have many things to be concerned about.  But, the purpose of this article isn’t to give anyone another reason to worry. These are simply some signs of neighborhood drug activity you should be aware of because it is not impossible that there could be a drug house on your street.

Drug cartels and dealers will traffic their substances in any place where they can blend in and stay in business as long as possible.  They don’t care whether anyone likes it.  Profit is their only concern.

Although drug trafficking is more prevalent in low-income neighborhoods, a drug house can exist in any part of a city.  You won’t necessarily see a drug runner with a bag of drugs lurking nearby, but there are some things that you should be on the lookout for.  

If you’re wondering “are there drug traffickers on my street”, watch for some of the following warning signs.

Signs of Neighborhood Drug Activity

While some activity in the neighborhood may look suspicious, it may not be related to drugs at all.  It’s not easy to know for sure.  But, in most areas where drugs are trafficked, some of the following signs are present:

• Lots of different people come and go to and from the house.
• People come and go at odd times of the day or night.
• Windows are always covered with dark curtains.
• Strange chemical smells emanated from the property.
• More people live in the house than before.
• People loiter in or around the property at odd hours.
• Unusual traffic patterns of cars pulling in, stopping, and leaving quickly.
• A sudden increase in criminal activities.

Most drug dealers look for areas where neighbors mostly keep to themselves.  This makes it less likely that the residents will notice any unusual activity.  Drug dealers also like areas where adults and kids have money to spend on drugs.  So, if you think “It can’t happen in my neighborhood,” you may want to be familiar with the above warning signs just in case.

What Is a Drug House?

Drug houses can show up in any type of neighborhood. So, what is a drug house? Here are some signs that will help answer your question:

According to law enforcement officials, a drug house needs 4 specific things to exist:

1. A product to sell.
2. Dealers who can sell the product.
3. Customers who will buy the product.
4. A location to sell from.

Typically, drug houses focus on only one drug-related activity at a time.  For instance, drug houses can be classified into three types.  They are:

• Production houses – A production house, aka clan lab, is where drug production happens.  As a result of the solvents used in the drug-making process, these houses often emit strange chemical odors.  You may notice people loading or dumping large amounts of waste material or equipment from the property.
• Trafficking houses – A trafficking house is one from which drugs are sold.  You may notice a high volume of people coming and going quickly.  They buy and sell 24 hours a day, in most cases.  Prostitution may also be a part of their business.
• Drug-use houses – A drug house, or flop house, is often hard to recognize.  It is a place where people come to use drugs in relative safety.  You may see many visitors that stay for a long time or may notice increased crime in the area or drug paraphernalia on the premises.

What Does a Drug Dealer Look Like?

Drug dealers are often stereotyped as uneducated, tattooed, predatory, immoral, and having a criminal record a mile long.  You will be surprised to learn that this type of drug dealer is an anomaly.  In fact, many drug dealers live and work among law-abiding citizens without arousing suspicion.  Some of them have families, homes, and jobs, and don’t do drugs themselves.  

We also envision drug dealers as wearing garish clothes and being very obvious about what they do for a living.  But, in reality, most drug dealers are quite discreet and easily blend in with ordinary people.  

People become drug dealers for different reasons, but most of them do it for money.  Whether for profit or to fund their own drug use, drug dealers sell drugs for their own gain.

Things You Can Do If You Suspect a Neighborhood Drug House

If you suspect drug activity in your neighborhood, don’t jump to conclusions.  It’s best to make a log of the suspicious activity before contacting the police.  According to law enforcement officials, specific types of information are helpful, such as:

• The address, dates, and times of the activity.
• Vehicle identification such as style, make, color, and license plate number.
• Description of individuals such as race, height, weight, gender, etc.
• Describe the type of activity you witnessed.
• Indicate whether any weapons were visible.

More importantly, if you notice signs of neighborhood drug activity, do not approach the suspected drug house or confront the occupants on your own.  

Addiction Treatment Is a Drug Dealer’s Toughest Competition

Bringing drug dealers to justice is the job of our esteemed law enforcement agencies.  At Design for Change Recovery, we strive to be a drug dealer’s toughest competitor.  Our programs undo the damage their drugs caused to our clients. 

We offer an evidence-based treatment program that works for anyone, regardless of the type of drug involved.  With each person healed, a drug dealer is deprived of one more paying customer.  Preventing drug use is the best option, but when that fails, we are here to help people reclaim their lives.  

Contact Design for Change Recovery in Lancaster, CA for more information about our programs. 

Sources:

• drugfreegreenville.org/ – Is There a Drug House in Your Neighborhood
• nolo.com/ – Is That a Drug House in My Neighborhood?  Now What?
• projectknow.com/ – Speak Up: How to Safely and Anonymously Report Drug Activity
• obndd.ok.gov/ – Nine Signs Your Neighbors are Dealing Drugs
• verywellmind.com/ –  What Does a Drug Dealer Look Like?