The Ocala Police Department is dedicated to safeguarding life and property, deterring crime, maintaining order and improving the quality of life, not only for today, but tomorrow, as well.
The challenge of effectively responding to illegal drug markets and their associated crime, violence, and disorder has proven challenging for communities and law enforcement for decades. Recently, a strategic problem-solving approach has emerged and shown tremendous promise. Developed by Professor David Kennedy, of John Jay College, and first implemented by a multi-agency team of local and federal law enforcement officials, neighborhood leaders, social service providers, and local government officials in High Point, North Carolina, the Drug Market Intervention (DMI) Initiative has drawn considerable interest and generated promising results in terms of enhanced community safety and quality of life. The strategy brings together drug dealers, their families, law enforcement and criminal justice officials, service providers and community leaders to eliminate overt community drug markets; arrests and prosecutes violent drug dealers; offers non-violent, first time drug dealers opportunities for education, job training, and other assistance; and establishes clear, predictable and meaningful consequences for those who return to dealing.
Although the drug dealers working in the target areas are the focus of a considerable amount of attention during the DMI implementation, the DMI is not primarily focused on changing individuals. Rather, it is about changing neighborhoods, transforming communities and advancing community and economic development efforts in cities nationwide through a partnership committed to the same goal—eliminating the open-air drug market.
WHY DMI?
In many neighborhoods, drug dealers and drug buyers have taken over the streets, forcing residents to stay in their homes. These drug markets are often violent and volatile, undermining safety and inhibiting development of local economies.
Open-air drug markets, as well as the drug enforcement activities purposed with curbing the drug trade, have exacted a heavy toll on our neighborhoods. As drug dealers exert control over public spaces, residents withdraw.
At the same time, four (4) decades of drug enforcement have resulted in cycles of enforcement that result in large numbers of young dealers being incarcerated only to be replaced by a new group of young people drawn to the perceived economic rewards of drug sales.
DMI IN OCALA, FLORIDA
Efforts to implement the DMI Initiative in Ocala are the result of a collaborative effort between the Ocala Police Department, the State Attorney’s Office (5th Judicial Circuit), Central Florida Community College, and the Governor’s Front Porch Florida Initiative.
WHO SHOULD BE INVOLVED?
Law Enforcement, the Faith-based Community, Service Providers, Prosecution, Community Leaders, Families, Associates and friends impacted by drugs, Probation/Parole, Government Agencies/Officials, Business Leaders/Owners, Non-profit Agencies and Neighborhood Groups.
THE NINE STEP PROCESS
Rather than focusing on individual drug users and sellers, the focus is on shutting down drug markets using a nine-step process.
1. Crime Mapping – Selecting target area(s) based on crime data;
2. Survey – Law enforcement “surveys” the target area(s) to learn all they can about drug dealers in that area;
3. Incident Review – Reviewing survey information and incidents in the target area(s);
4. Undercover Operations – Building cases on drug dealers identified in target area(s), ultimately identifying call-in participants and immediately prosecuting violent drug dealers;
5. Mobilize the Community – Gaining community buy-in and identifying resources;
6. Contact with the Offenders’ Family – Identify influential people in the lives of the call-in participants and visit with them;
7. Call-in/Notification – Determine what services are available and facilitate the call-in. The community, prosecution and law enforcement messages are delivered to call-in participants;
8. Enforcement – Law enforcement and community working closely together to keep the open-air drug market closed; and
9. Follow-up – Providing call-in participants who accept assistance with supportive resources.
CONTACT PERSON
For additional information, or if you would like to be involved in DMI, please contact Sergeant Corey Taylor by telephone at 352-369-7189 or 352-369-7000 or by e-mail at ctaylor@ocalapd.org.
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