There are a variety of illegal activities that can operate in your neighborhood. Spotting these and reporting them to police is crucial to keep crime from proliferating in your neighborhood. Here are a few to look out for:
Trap House
This term is used to define a crack house, or the surroundings in which a drug dealer (trap star) would use to make their profit. Also referred to as “up tha way”. Trap houses have very little to no furniture, very little to no food or kitchen items but lots of take out containers, and very little to no clothing. The dealers work in shifts making it impossible to know who runs the house. They trap you by getting you hooked on illegal drugs.
Smoke House
Smoke houses are similar to trap houses. These houses have high amounts of drug paraphernalia such as glass pipes, meth pipes, and crack pipes. They are called smoke house because their main business is providing you a place (room) and the instruments (pipes) necessary for you to smoke marihuana or cocaine for a price. What you do in a smoke house stays in the smoke house. Some tobacco discount shops are actually smoke houses. These shops have hid away back rooms for illegal use.
Stash House
Unlike the smoke and trap house the stash house usually has no furniture or kitchen items at all. A stash house is simply where drugs are kept to avoid being seized. They maintain only the amount of drug that can be sold in a certain time period (24 hours for example). They restock their drugs regularly from the drug distribution house using a runner. These houses have heavy security with braces on the doors and possibly security cameras. They may have security bars on all entrances. Transactions are conducted through the security bars or caged area. In the event of a police raid they have methods to quickly dispose of their contraband (usually down the commode). By the time police make entry all of the drugs are gone.
Grow House
A grow house is one that is strictly used for cultivating marijuana. The plants may be various stages of growth. These houses will usually have a lot of lights and some grow lights. Grow lights are ultraviolet lights and emanate a violet glow. The growers will provide an irrigation system for the plants and will be using a lot of water. An air circulation system is also required for healthy plant growth. The odor of marijuana will emanate from the house if carbon air filtration is not used. Most of marijuana grown is for personal use. Any excess marijuana will be sold directly to customers or sold to smoke houses. Selling to only smoke houses is the safer method for sale of excess marijuana.
Signs that a house is selling drugs include barricades, cage, surveillance cameras, guns, holes in screens/doors, and limited access. These houses are a business and will have business quality protection. Most of these houses will be dilapidated and in various states of disrepair. There is usually heavy traffic with short duration visits. Transactions are quick and will be stopped in the drive way just long enough to exchange the drugs and the money. The buyers/users will spend very little time in stash houses. Longer times are spent in smoke and trap/crack houses.
If you suspect that a house in your area is associated with dealing drugs contact your neighborhood police officer or call 911 to make them aware of your suspicions. You should also advise a member of the crime watch or VIP.
