A week ago, Police Commissioner Ray Kelly was criticized for being "soft" on drug dens, so now he's making up for lost time: following last Friday's Bloods/Crips bust, the NYPD arrested 17 members of two northern Manhattan drug crews for selling cocaine, ecstasy and marijuana today.
And like the Bloods/Crips bust last week, it was revealed that the two crews, who have controlled opposite sides of Vermilyea Avenue between West 207th and Academy streets for the past three years, have been working in harmony, sharing lookouts and even customers. With all of these alliances between drug crews lately, how long before we find out they've been using Robert Rules of Order to conduct their meetings?
The nine-month probe, dubbed "Operation Manhattan Project," came after officers purchased nearly $17,000 worth of drugs in two dozen purchases, including 1,550 ecstasy pills and seven ounces of cocaine and marijuana. Just as it was with the raids in Crown Heights, the NYPD's investigation was launched due to residents complaining about constant foot traffic from drug dealers and customers in several apartment buildings. According to Deputy Inspector Andrew Capul, commander of the 34th Police Precinct, the bust was the first major narcotics operation in the Inwood neighborhood this year, but every few months busts are routinely made there.
