Question (mostly) for our law enforcement members

[NAPOTS]

This is aimed mostly at our law enforcement members but everyone is welcome to respond. I found some evidence of drug use on my property when doing yard work. I live on a corner lot with a long fence line in a quiet neighborhood off of a little bit busier street. I often find trash, fast food garbage mostly, cigarette butts etc on the side of my house. Today I was taking advantage of a break in the weather to pull some weeds when I found 2 things; a small pipe (actually a spring wrapped in foil) which looked like a makeshift Crack pipe to me and a spoon with residue in it and soot on the bottom. I think I'm getting some traffic off of the busier street, people looking for a quiet place. I have small children and there are a lot of other small children in the neighborhood. I don't want this kind of shit where I live. Is there anything I can do as a deterrent? I was wondering if fake cameras and a smile your on camera sign would work?

[stevelyn]

This is aimed mostly at our law enforcement members but everyone is welcome to respond. I found some evidence of drug use on my property when doing yard work. I live on a corner lot with a long fence line in a quiet neighborhood off of a little bit busier street. I often find trash, fast food garbage mostly, cigarette butts etc on the side of my house. Today I was taking advantage of a break in the weather to pull some weeds when I found 2 things; a small pipe (actually a spring wrapped in foil) which looked like a makeshift Crack pipe to me and a spoon with residue in it and soot on the bottom. I think I'm getting some traffic off of the busier street, people looking for a quiet place. I have small children and there are a lot of other small children in the neighborhood. I don't want this kind of shit where I live. Is there anything I can do as a deterrent? I was wondering if fake cameras and a smile your on camera sign would work?

Welcome to the heroin epidemic. What you found is called a foily and is used to smoke heroin. The spring thing is new to me, but i suspect it's being used as a support frame for the foil. The soot is likely heroin residue. The spoon is used as a boiler to melt down the heroin into liquid or semi-liquid form so it can be poured into the foil.

It sounds like some of the neighbors may be getting into heroin use and just as you said, looking for a quiet place to do their thing.

The camera thing may work. Confronting them also if they are impacting your property. Heroin addicts tend to not be that confrontational. Also let your neighbors know what you found, that way you'll have more eyes looking out for suspicious activity. Don't hesitate to call LE when you see them. If nothing else you might get lucky and they'll get pinched for possession.

[Richard Simmons]

Tell the police and your neighbors, add lighting as much as you can for night time.

[Helen Keller]

they used to steal peoples CFL bulbs from their front porches and use them to smoke, then everybody found out theres mercury in them.

Some of them got lit up in the process as well.

[alismith]

Never dealt with heroin addicts, but if they're looking for a safe, quiet spot (that may be why they chose your street), then make it appear to not be safe.

Get some red food coloring and create a pool of "blood" on the sidewalk, with a few drops splattered in a line moving away from the "pool." Give this time to dry, throw a few cigarette butts around, and then scatter a few empty 9mm cases around the "pool" and some shoe scuff marks around them.

Maybe they'll look for a "quieter" corner, next time.....

[skorpion]

Call your local PD and give them a head's up as to what you're finding. This is part CYA (documenting that the drug paraphernalia on your property is not yours) and part intel for them to work on. Screw fake cameras; toss up a real one if you can afford it. A surveillance camera will help you determine the exact time this is happening and may even reveal the identity of the junkie(s). As already mentioned, good exterior lighting will help some but it's not a guarantee if the side of your house or yard is obstructed by shrubs or fencing. Lock up everything. Junkies are big-time opportunistic thieves who will steal anything for money to buy their next hit of dope.

[TEN-32]

Get a big dog or find a few big piles of dog shit to put out for them to see.

[NAPOTS]

Get a big dog or find a few big piles of dog shit to put out for them to see.

Chief, I'm serious this is my home where I put my kids to sleep at night. Those of you in Le might laugh because you see this everyday but I don't do drugs and don't hang out with those who do.

Should I file a report over a spoon?

If it's random people who are driving down the main road and see a quiet neighborhood and think hey I won't be bothered here is there anything to do.

I can't help but think some druggie could get nervous and throw his shit into my yard and my dogs or kids could find it or he could come back later looking for it, I'd confront at gunpoint if home.

[tank_monkey]

Chief, I'm serious this is my home where I put my kids to sleep at night. Those of you in Le might laugh because you see this everyday but I don't do drugs and don't hang out with those who do.

Should I file a report over a spoon?

If it's random people who are driving down the main road and see a quiet neighborhood and think hey I won't be bothered here is there anything to do.

I can't help but think some druggie could get nervous and throw his shit into my yard and my dogs or kids could find it or he could come back later looking for it, I'd confront at gunpoint if home.

Answer to your first question. 1) just finding ONE INSTANCE of drug paraphernalia on your property is NOT a big enough deal to call the cops. You can, but I once found a crack pipe (with no crack in it) on my property and I think someone just threw it over the fence from the sidewalk. Just get rid of it. Look around carefully and see if there are dime bags or other evidence of actual drugs. If you find any OTHER evidence of non-residents using your property to either discard or use drugs, then it's becoming a pattern and then start taking measure. Cops today only want people to drag them out for more serious crimes where they can be pro active and either look for someone / something or stop a greater crime from happening. You DO report things like petty thefts and vandalism because the cities usually track the incidents of these lesser crimes. But finding drug paraphernalia is NOT itself indicative of a crime about to happen or escalate.

DO enhance your property security. Add motion sensor lights and wi fi cameras.

[TEN-32]

Chief, I'm serious this is my home where I put my kids to sleep at night. Those of you in Le might laugh because you see this everyday but I don't do drugs and don't hang out with those who do.

Should I file a report over a spoon?

If it's random people who are driving down the main road and see a quiet neighborhood and think hey I won't be bothered here is there anything to do.

I can't help but think some druggie could get nervous and throw his shit into my yard and my dogs or kids could find it or he could come back later looking for it, I'd confront at gunpoint if home.

I was being 100% serious. I don't know what type of area you live in but trespassers and dopers will likely look for a different spot if they think you have a big dog. As to calling the local cop shop, it wouldn't hurt but probably won't get you much satisfaction. They may put out a patrol alert to the beat cars. You might see a few extra passes by your house for a week or two. Are they slinging on your corner? Do you have hookers around? Find any used condoms? Time to move?

edit-any used syringes in the area? Have a talk with your kids about blood born pathogens and drug paraphernalia.

[kuntryboy]

my cousin was chopping silage and nearly ran a math lab into the chopper head. they had hidden out in the corn field. all of the advice given above is the best you can do. report it to law enforcement and your insurance agent. take a picture on your cell phone.