Police shut down gas station for selling drug paraphernalia

**Zacha341** · July-23-15, 04:26 AM

Fun times to get a visit from chief Craig. No more little brown bag sales!

http://www.myfoxdetroit.com/story/29...-paraphernalia

**lpg** · July-23-15, 06:23 AM

I liked the store owners response "Everybody else is selling stuff, why pick on me ?"

**softailrider** · July-23-15, 06:25 AM

Originally Posted by Zacha341

Fun times to get a visit from chief Craig. No more little brown bag sales!

http://www.myfoxdetroit.com/story/29...-paraphernalia

Really not understanding that too well, unless they were more blatant then all the other businesses selling that stuff. Why pick on that guy other then to tip off the TV stations and turn it into show business for the cameras?

**lpg** · July-23-15, 06:28 AM

Maybe throw a little fear into the others ?? As in maybe your next ?

**Honky Tonk** · July-23-15, 06:40 AM

It gives a whole new meaning to brown-bagging it.

**JBMcB** · July-23-15, 07:38 AM

So selling a lighter and glass pipe together is illegal, but selling them separately is OK?

The war on drugs couldn't be any stupider.

**Dbest** · July-23-15, 08:02 AM

City, State, County, and Federal converge to get the bad guy!

What a waste of resources. A few questions I have:

Is this part of the money spent on the war on drugs?

Did the feds decide they wanted gas stations cracked down on?

Why is Craig in a suit?

Why is the news on hand?

Why was the intro to the news story talking about Heroin when the issue at hand is crack pipes?

This reeks of a PR stunt geared to project an image of law enforcement trying to quill illegal drugs. Craig comes across as a real puppet for the feds, "look nice and follow along Jim, and we will get you that additional funding your department requested"...

Meanwhile somewhere else in the city a --fill in the blank-- just occurred.

**Jimaz** · July-23-15, 08:05 AM

Here's a recent story that was quite a surprise:
Police bust Shelby Township medical marijuana dispensary, arrest at least four.

A few years ago that business was filled with legitimate medical supplies [[wheelchairs, etc.). They were very helpful too. It's a shame to lose their expertise with the legitimate medical supplies. I can't imagine why they went down the medical marijuana road so blatantly.

**Honky Tonk** · July-23-15, 08:40 AM

Originally Posted by Dbest

City, State, County, and Federal converge to get the bad guy!

What a waste of resources. A few questions I have:

Is this part of the money spent on the war on drugs?

Did the feds decide they wanted gas stations cracked down on?

Why is Craig in a suit?

Why is the news on hand?

Why was the intro to the news story talking about Heroin when the issue at hand is crack pipes?

This reeks of a PR stunt geared to project an image of law enforcement trying to quill illegal drugs. Craig comes across as a real puppet for the feds, "look nice and follow along Jim, and we will get you that additional funding your department requested"...

Meanwhile somewhere else in the city a --fill in the blank-- just occurred.

I have to agree with you. This is reminiscent of the big Blue Bus parades and busts when he first came onboard. Looks like a PR stunt.

**Hypestyles** · July-23-15, 09:04 AM

Who are the distributors of the "drug related" merchandise? Who are the suppliers? The retail stores are low hanging fruit. If this ends up exclusively targeting gas stations/party stores of ethnic ownership, what, if any, statements will be made by the Arab/Chaldean Chambers of Commerce?

**1953** · July-23-15, 09:10 AM

The guy was clearly making and selling bags that were intended to be used by druggies. I'm glad he was shut down.

1953

**rex** · July-23-15, 09:10 AM

Originally Posted by lpg

I liked the store owners response "Everybody else is selling stuff, why pick on me ?"

he may well be right. I wouldn't know but I would bet a stack that plenty of gas stations and liquor stores on the near northeast side of the city sell lighters, glass pens and whatever else... probably have an open box of chore boy under the register as well. Most are subtle enough not to put it all together paper bags ready for sale. flagrant. Pretty much invalidates any claim to not know what people are doing with it.

**Dbest** · July-23-15, 09:27 AM

Originally Posted by 1953

The guy was clearly making and selling bags that were intended to be used by druggies. I'm glad he was shut down.

1953

Druggies and Dopers!

**animatedmartian** · July-23-15, 09:40 AM

Ya know, when I first read the headline without looking into the story, I thought gas stations were being shut down because of loiters and carjackers. Now where will the drug dealers be able to congregate?

**detroitsgwenivere** · July-23-15, 11:45 AM

Dbest wins the prize. Let me give you guys some backround on this Sunoco.

There are 4 gas stations within walking distance of us, 2 of which we refuse to patronize, and this Sunoco is one of them. Not because of their paraphernalia, which was being sold from a place down the street from a shoot em up booby bar, a dozen dope spots, and is located in a designated "Decoy Neighborhood." [[Funny, it's also half a mile down the road from the BDT's which is considered by most an upstanding business and neighbor.)

It's because they allow Dbags to hang around their business at all hours of the day and night, who rob and shoot people in broad daylight like it's business as usual, sell pirate hookers from INSIDE THE STATION, and then proceed to cover-up the DBag's tracks. The station attendant is being compensated for this, which is why this low life should go away, not because he sold a bag with a lighter and a spoon that I could buy separately in every store on the block if I felt inclined.

Craig's not doing the heavy lifting in regards to crime prevention here, but the Fed's sure are, going after the organized crime which is responsible for WAY more wrongful deaths in this area than any willing participant of drug use is. If he was really so concerned about the welfare of the people over here, which he is not I promise you, he would dismantle the "Decoy Area" moniker that has worked to destroy this neighborhood ever since the 1980's.

**Zacha341** · July-23-15, 12:12 PM

Yep. Chore Boy this and that combined are the goods of CRACK smoking, period. Here the buyer got their bagged 'hook up'. Enterprising yeah, but this particular train has run out tracks. Have see the gas station, and speed up when I drive by. Always floatsome hanging out. The kind of folk who ply stolen Debit and Credit cards for fast cash.

Originally Posted by rex

he may well be right. I wouldn't know but I would bet a stack that plenty of gas stations and liquor stores on the near northeast side of the city sell lighters, glass pens and whatever else... probably have an open box of chore boy under the register as well. Most are subtle enough not to put it all together paper bags ready for sale. flagrant. Pretty much invalidates any claim to not know what people are doing with it.

**Zacha341** · July-23-15, 12:14 PM

Yeah that factor does seem to emerge. So now other stations know they can package the goodies, and get away with it for a time until 'their' turn at getting busted.

Originally Posted by Honky Tonk

I have to agree with you. This is reminiscent of the big Blue Bus parades and busts when he first came onboard. Looks like a PR stunt.

**Zacha341** · July-23-15, 12:30 PM

Standard justification - a kissing cousin to:

"They doing it too!"

Originally Posted by lpg

I liked the store owners response "Everybody else is selling stuff, why pick on me ?"

**Zacha341** · July-23-15, 12:38 PM

Yes, one can argue that. But throw in the 'Chore Boy' steel wool, and you've got crack fixin's 'lunch-bag'. Hard to square the intent of that use as otherwise.

Originally Posted by JBMcB

So selling a lighter and glass pipe together is illegal, but selling them separately is OK?

The war on drugs couldn't be any stupider.

**Richard** · July-23-15, 03:26 PM

Originally Posted by detroitsgwenivere

Dbest wins the prize. Let me give you guys some backround on this Sunoco.

There are 4 gas stations within walking distance of us, 2 of which we refuse to patronize, and this Sunoco is one of them. Not because of their paraphernalia, which was being sold from a place down the street from a shoot em up booby bar, a dozen dope spots, and is located in a designated "Decoy Neighborhood." [[Funny, it's also half a mile down the road from the BDT's which is considered by most an upstanding business and neighbor.)

It's because they allow Dbags to hang around their business at all hours of the day and night, who rob and shoot people in broad daylight like it's business as usual, sell pirate hookers from INSIDE THE STATION, and then proceed to cover-up the DBag's tracks. The station attendant is being compensated for this, which is why this low life should go away, not because he sold a bag with a lighter and a spoon that I could buy separately in every store on the block if I felt inclined.

Craig's not doing the heavy lifting in regards to crime prevention here, but the Fed's sure are, going after the organized crime which is responsible for WAY more wrongful deaths in this area than any willing participant of drug use is. If he was really so concerned about the welfare of the people over here, which he is not I promise you, he would dismantle the "Decoy Area" moniker that has worked to destroy this neighborhood ever since the 1980's.

Pirate Hooker?

I had interesting thoughts until I looked it up in the urban dictionary,I guess to be PC there are different classifications of hookers.

I guess the problem is the ones hanging out are also the stores customers,so it would be difficult to trespass or difficult without ramifications.

We have these green stickers that can be posted on empty houses,c stores or any vacant property that gives the police authorization to press charges for trespassing without the owners consent or intervention it helps where one wants it to help.

This seems as one of those cases where they know what is going on and looked for a reason to resolve it when others have failed.

The problem with going after organized crime is it makes it unorganized,if they were organized they would not be effecting civilians or those not in the trade and if they did then it would be bad business and be taken care of.They are just a group of wannabe thugs.

But Detroit policing today is made up of a combination of many different agency's to help combat crime and if a fed agency can catch them then its on a fed rap and not bottle-necked by the city's lack of being able to process.

**rex** · July-23-15, 04:45 PM

probably making a nice little profit from these setups. The stuff included couldnt cost 50 cents and they're making a 4.50 on top.

**detroitsgwenivere** · July-23-15, 05:11 PM

Originally Posted by Richard

Pirate Hooker?

The "arrrr mate-y" type, possibly including an eye patch and/or peg leg. Their pimps are called Capt. Hooks, and the tranny pros are called Tinkerbells.

The organized stuff in these parts is no joke, and I refrain from getting into detail about it online, for obvious reasons.

**black gold man** · July-23-15, 06:27 PM

I was in my yard a seen the parade come up schoenherr a dozen police cars in a row.

**Cinderpath** · July-23-15, 11:09 PM

Originally Posted by Hypestyles

Who are the distributors of the "drug related" merchandise? Who are the suppliers? The retail stores are low hanging fruit. If this ends up exclusively targeting gas stations/party stores of ethnic ownership, what, if any, statements will be made by the Arab/Chaldean Chambers of Commerce?

That they are often part of the problem, rather than part of the solution? I'm guessing the Meijer's gas station a few block west does not sell "ready kits", and gasp the concept of social responsibility in the community they serve.