TheCrackStripMall

The "Crack" Strip Mall Closed

By Chris Conley

August 2, 2006

Stepping up their battle against drug dealers and crack houses, county prosecutors and Memphis police shut down what they described as a "crack strip mall" in the Binghamton neighborhood Tuesday. Seven homes on Given Avenue, just west of Holmes Street, were cited as public nuisances, and will be either shut or bulldozed. Two have been burned badly by the drug dealers who chased out legitimate residents and took over, police said.

The District Attorney General's Office also served a petition on the Lucky 7 Food Mart, at Holmes and Given, to ask a court to either close the store or order the owners to stop the pervasive criminal activity outside. The store was described as the hub of gang-run drug dealing and prostitution. The exterior is covered with gang graffiti.

Over the past few months, undercover Organized Crime Unit officers made controlled buys at the seven buildings and in front of the store.

"You couldn't drive down the street. Cars were double-parked" waiting to be served, said Memphis Police Director Larry Godwin.

"It's a strip mall for drugs," he said.

The 30 controlled crack buys and raids conducted by OCU officers led police to charge more than 50 gang members, many of them leaders, in a roundup last week, Godwin said.

Ten people have been indicted for drug sales in the past few weeks.

Dist. Atty. Gen. Bill Gibbons said his office is asking a court to allow Southern Christian Leadership Conference members to go onto the property and erase gang graffiti. The organization has a campaign ongoing to wipe out gang graffiti and has scheduled some work Saturday.

In the driveway of one house was spray painted "In memory of Gotti." The grocery store was tagged with the messages "Love always, Smoke D," and "RIP Toosie."

Robert Montague, executive director of the Binghampton Development Corp., brought neighborhood youths to the 3200 block of Given early Tuesday to begin a cleanup. The houses were strewn with baggies used in crack sales and used condoms.

Several of the houses showed signs of being shot up.

"People who can, often flee," said Montague. "The vulnerable, the elderly and the young, become the victims," he said. "What I see is helping."

-- Chris Conley: 529-2595

Remembering the Marketplace of the Midsouth

TheCrackStripMall

The "Crack" Strip Mall Closed