Laurel R. Boatright, Assistant U.S. Attorney,

Community Outreach Coordinator,

Northern District of Georgia

The English Avenue

Drug Market Intervention (DMI):

An Ongoing Police/Community Partnership

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Vine CityVine CityVine CityVine CityVine CityVine CityVine CityVine CityVine City

English AvenueEnglish AvenueEnglish AvenueEnglish AvenueEnglish AvenueEnglish AvenueEnglish AvenueEnglish AvenueEnglish Avenue

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Numerous

prior efforts by

law

enforcement

and residents,

yet … open-air

drug markets

continued to

dominate the

English

Avenue

neighborhood.

Looking toward the Yellow Store

on October 31, 2014

The “Yellow Store” at JP Brawley/C.Alexander

Why DMI?

Goals of DMI:

1. Eliminate open-air nature of drug

markets (not eradicating drug use)

2. Return the neighborhood to

residents (improve safety/quality

of life)

3. Improve police/community trust

How a DMI Works:

• Build relationships w/ residents, churches, cops

• Identify/investigate street-level dealers

• arrest offenders w/ history of violence (Tier 1)

• “second chance” for non-violent offenders (Tier 2)

• “call in” Tier 2 and confront with evidence while

providing support from family, law enforcement,

service providers, clergy, and community leaders

First Drug Market Initiative (DMI) =

High Point, North Carolina in 2004

• Since 2004, DMIs in over 35 U.S. cities (i.e. Baltimore,

Nashville, New Orleans)

• Overall = reduction 40-80% in violent crime and drug-

related crime

• Expect about half of “call in” group reoffend

How English Avenue DMI Worked …

1. Community Engagement/Partnership

2. Investigation (controlled drug buys)

3. Intervention• Federal arrests (May 2015)

• Call-in program (June 2015)

4. Maintenance• Ongoing enforcement

• Ongoing “second chances”

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501501501501501501501501501

Vine CityVine CityVine CityVine CityVine CityVine CityVine CityVine CityVine City

English AvenueEnglish AvenueEnglish AvenueEnglish AvenueEnglish AvenueEnglish AvenueEnglish AvenueEnglish AvenueEnglish Avenue

DONALD LEE HOLLOWELL PKWY NW

EL

M S

T N

W

NORTH AVE NW

JA

ME

S P

BR

AW

LE

Y D

R N

W

VIN

E S

T N

W

SU

NS

ET

AV

E N

WMAGNOLIA ST NW

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203203203203203203203203203

508508508508508508508508508

504504504504504504504504504

10TH ST NW

11TH ST N

W

3RD ST NW4TH ST NW

6TH ST NW

8TH ST NW

9TH ST NW

AD

DIE

ST

NW

ALEXANDER ST NW

ANDREW YOUNG INTERNA BLVD NW

ASHBY CIR

NW

ATLAN

TIC

DR N

W

BAKER ST N

W

BANKHEAD AVE NW

BAYLOR ST NW

BECK

WIT

H C

T SW

BEDFORD ST NW

BE

LLIN

GR

AT

H A

VE

NW

BEUTELL ST NW

BO

OK

ER

ST

NW

BOOKER WASHINGTON DR NW

BRAD

Y AVE N

W

CA

IRO

ST

NW

CALHOUN ST NW

CAMERON M ALEXANDER BLVD NW

CARTER ST NW

CE

NT

EN

NIA

L O

LYM

PIC

P D

R N

W

CE

NT

ER

ST

NW

CHESTNUT PL NW

COCA COLA PLZ NW

CU

RR

AN

ST

NW

DA

LN

EY

ST

NW

DALVIGNEY ST NW

DELBRIDGE ST NWDESOTO ST NW

DILLO

N ST NW

DIVISION ST NW

DUNKIRK ST NW

EC

HO

ST

NW

ED

WA

RD

S S

T N

W

EL

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TR

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GL

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W

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ST

NW

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RID

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ST

NW

FERST DR NW

FLO

WE

RS

PL

NW

FOUNDRY ST NW

FOX ST NW

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GR

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NW

GR

AY

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NW

GR

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NF

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ST N

W

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T N

W

HAMPTON ST N

W

HARWELL ST NW

HA

YN

ES

ST

SW

HEM

PHILL A

VE NW

HIR

SC

H S

T N

W

HO

LL

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T N

W

HOME PARK AVE NW

HO

WELL

MILL

RD

NW

HUNNICUTT ST NW

IMA

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W

JA

ME

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BR

AW

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JEFFERSON ST N

W

JE

PT

HA

ST

SW

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JOHN ST NW

JONES AVE NW

JOSEPH E BOONE BLVD NW

JOSEPH

E LOW

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LVD N

W

LAMBERT ST NW

LATIMER ST NW

LE

AC

H S

T N

W

LENA ST NW

LESTER ST NW

LIBERTY COMMONS DR NW

LINDSAY PL NW

LIN

DS

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ST

NW

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T N

W

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MA

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NW

MA

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ST

SW

MA

PL

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T N

W

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W

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PL

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ST

NW

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W

PO

ST

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T N

W

PROCTOR ST NW

REYNOLDS ST NW

RHODES ST NW

RICHARDS ST NW

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W

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ST

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Phase 1: Community Partnership

• English Avenue

Neighborhood Ass’n

• Community input

• Training

• Residents/clergy

part of “call-in”

• Building relationships of trust

Phase 2: Investigation

Law Enforcement

Partnerships

Atlanta Police, Fulton Co. DA

U.S. Attorney’s Office and GaNG

Atlanta Fire Rescue

Code

Enforcement/

Atlanta

Solicitor’s

Office

ATFGBIHIDTA

Phase 3: Intervention

Tier 1 - 27 Federally

Charged

Tier 2 – “call in”

18 Invited / 15 Attended

= 45 Drug Traffickers

Social Services Partners

• EANA/EAVC Ministerial Alliance

• Urban League Greater Atlanta

• St. Jude’s

• GRAN Recovery/VP Health

• Integrity, CDC

• Atlanta Mission

• Georgia Justice Project

• Salvation Army-Metro Atlanta

• Families First, Inc.

• City of Refuge

• ITC

• Center for Working Families

• Georgia Works

• Georgia Department of Labor

• Fulton County Health Services

“Call-In” Tier 2 Participants

➢ 4 participated in treatment/counseling/job skills programs

➢ 1 returned to college

➢ 2 left town

➢ 4 not dealing in EA

➢ 1 arrested on unrelated technical parole violation (later received services)

➢ 4 charged federally (2 later received services)

(12 of the 18 “Tier 2” dealers were offered services after call-in)

Phase 4: Maintenance

• Encouraged resident calls, immediate response

• Increased police patrols; APF installed surveillance cameras

• Secured funding for officer OT

• 1 cop only for EA

• 2 Reversals =13 arrests

Maintenance: Properties

Forfeiture complaints filed on 7 properties

(incl. single-family homes and apartment buildings)

(Properties, cont.)

• 2 Properties – Owners sold to investors who plan to renovate

• 3 Properties – Stipulated to settlement with owners, who must abide by strong terms to keep properties drug-free

• 2 Properties – Owners pleaded guilty (one to be forfeited; one donated to Atlanta Police Foundation)

• Still sending notice letters to owners …

690 Cameron Alexander

Before….

As of August 1, 2017...

Maintenance: City Trash Pick-Up

581 Griffin Street - dead body found (heroin overdose)

Maintenance: Demolition

The Georgia National Guard’s Counterdrug

Task Force demolished 15 persistent problem

properties, leaving clean lots with fresh grass

Where We Are…

• Since 2015, almost 40% decrease in violent and drug crimes

• Market is confined to 3-4 hot spots, changed techniques, moved indoors

• Enforcement continues – more than 30 criminally charged since 2015

• Residents actively partnering w/ law enforcement

• Shooting death of 81-yr-old Mildred Martin solved in 3 days

• DMI notes left on carsparked by heroin dealers

(Where We Are…)

• Sending letters to property owners - invite to meet and discuss criminal activity on their property

• Angel nonprofits acting

• Ongoing referral of residents

“in need” to DMI partners for a

“second chance”

Restoration – Giving Law Enforcement a “Second Chance”

Revitalization of English Avenue …

“Yellow Store”

St. Mark A.M.E. Church =

community events/concerts

@Promise Youth Center(previously vacant elementary school)

@Promise

Center

Our English Avenue DMI …