MEMPHIS, TN – Shelby County District Attorney Bill Gibbons and Memphis Police Director Larry Godwin announced Tuesday that officers with the Memphis Police Department’s Undercover Operations Unit boarded up four “drug houses” as part of the continuing Operation “Summer Heat.” On June 26, the D.A.’s Office filed nuisance petitions against the owners of 13 residential properties where the sale and use of illegal drugs, specifically crack cocaine, frequently occurred. Last week, the environmental court judge ordered four of those properties closed. Hearings are set later this month in eight of the other cases, and one case has been resolved by working with the property owner.
The nuisance actions were the result of an undercover investigation which started in April and ended on June 1 as part of the ongoing Operation “Summer Heat.” The investigation was conducted by undercover officers of the Organized Crime Unit (OCU) who sought out known gang members operating “gang dens” and “drug houses.” The officers targeted areas of the city that are plagued with aggravated assaults and simple assaults, thefts and burglaries from businesses, houses, and vehicles as well as individuals as part of the Memphis Police Department’s Blue C.R.U.S.H. ™ initiative.
Last month, the state Grand Jury for Shelby County returned 150 criminal indictments for felony drug charges against 52 defendants for alleged drug sales made in the properties facing nuisance actions during Operation “Summer Heat.” Most of the charges included class B and C felonies, for which the standard sentences are 8-12 years and 3-6 years, respectively.
The site of Tuesday’s announcement was 3077 Manhattan. According to the petition, the property is located in a residential neighborhood and operates as a place where illegal drugs, namely crack cocaine, may be purchased and used. Neighbors have called police on multiple occasions complaining of nuisance activity at the house. Additionally, according to the petition, undercover officers purchased crack cocaine from inside the residence on at least seven occasions between April 8 and April 25. The petition also claims that numerous other crimes in the area are facilitated and encouraged by the drug activity occurring at 3077 Manhattan.
“As late as yesterday, the doors and windows of 3077 Manhattan were wide open, giving drug dealers easy access. Now, due to the efforts of the Memphis Police Department and the D.A.’s Office, and thanks to the judge’s order allowing us to board it up, this property is no longer available to drug dealers. This neighborhood is safer as a result.” said District Attorney Gibbons.
The other properties closed Tuesday include 3085 Manhattan (next door to 3077 Manhattan), 1222 Gibbons, and 3317 Ashland. According to the nuisance petitions filed against the properties, undercover officers purchased or witnessed the purchase of crack cocaine inside the properties on numerous occasions. Some of the drug sales were made during the middle of the afternoon when children were walking home from school. The petitions filed against these properties allege that the locations have the general reputations of being “drug houses” and havens for criminal activity.
One of the nine properties not boarded Tuesday is located at 3603 and 3605 Powell. It was referred to OCU by a concerned citizen through the Memphis Police Department’s CyberWatch. The owner of the property has evicted the alleged drug dealer, Gerald Washington, who was indicted by the Grand Jury and is being held in the Shelby County Jail. The concerned citizen has told the D.A.’s Office that since the filing of the nuisance action “the neighborhood is very much better. There does not appear to be any problems with the location. And now my kids can play outside.” A consent order was reached with the owner, and the property will not be boarded.
“This operation has made a difference in this neighborhood, and we will continue to take our streets back to send a message to the criminals that the Memphis Police Department will not stop fighting crime. We will not tolerate criminals whose behavior endangers the lives of our citizens,” said Director Godwin.
“We’re in a battle. We will not give up. We will continue to make progress,” Gibbons added.
As a result of undercover investigations by the Memphis Police Department since the start of Operation Blue CRUSH™, the D.A.’s Office has filed nuisance actions against the owners of more than 100 properties.
Tennessee law states that the District Attorney General has authority to bring a civil action against any establishment deemed a nuisance. The statute defines a nuisance, in part, as “any place in or upon which… unlawful sale of any regulated legend drug, narcotic or other controlled substance…quarrelling, drunkenness, fighting, or breaches of the peace are carried on or permitted.”
The District Attorney’s Office, working with investigations by the Memphis Police Department and as part of Operation Blue CRUSH™, has filed nuisance petitions against the owners of numerous properties—both residential and businesses—under the Tennessee nuisance law. Some nuisance actions have resulted in permanent closure of the properties. Others have reopened under consent orders to alleviate the nuisance. |