By Michael Eugene Johnson
Baltimore police recently raided two businesses, Pulaski Convenience and East Monument Convenience, on Nov. 6, leading to the arrest of three individuals and the seizure of large amounts of illegal marijuana and cash. Â
The local neighborhood store — the corner shop, the bodega — is meant to be a pillar of the community, a convenient and safe place for necessities. When these locations are co-opted for the sale of illegal drugs, they become vessels of destruction, fundamentally betraying the trust of the residents they are supposed to serve. The sale of illegal drugs, particularly within easily accessible community hubs, inflicts profound and multi-layered damage. These activities introduce a cycle of violence, turf wars and associated crimes (theft, robbery) directly into residential streets. This erodes the basic sense of personal safety for all residents, especially children and the elderly. The drugs themselves fuel the opioid epidemic, overdose deaths and the spread of infectious diseases.Â
The individuals profiting from these sales are directly contributing to the loss of life and the massive strain on local health services. Drug activity creates a visible blight. It discourages legitimate business investment, lowers property values, and forces law-abiding families to live in perpetual fear. People stop using parks, parents keep children indoors, and a silent, toxic culture of avoidance and isolation takes root. These operations often prey on the most vulnerable members of the community—those battling addiction, struggling with poverty, or those who are minors. It traps generations in cycles of dependence and criminality, destroying the future prospects of young people. Â
When local businesses become drug distribution points, they are not just minor criminals; they are enablers and accelerators of death and community devastation.Â
The legal system must respond to the gravity of this situation with clarity, strength and unwavering commitment to justice. The legal system must look beyond the individual street dealer and hold the owners, operators and property holders of the stores criminally and financially responsible. Those who knowingly allow or profit from drug sales on their premises should face charges commensurate with the harm done, potentially including felony drug distribution charges and even charges related to death, where applicable, under principles of accomplice liability. Â
The business property and the assets gained through illegal activity must be aggressively seized (asset forfeiture). The financial penalty should be so severe that it removes the economic incentive and serves as a powerful deterrent. The bureaucratic process for shutting down a problematic property must be streamlined. The legal system should use nuisance abatement laws to quickly declare any property confirmed to be a drug distribution center a public nuisance. Authorities must seek immediate court injunctions to close these businesses permanently.Â
The community needs assurance that the store acting as a cancer in the community will be excised immediately, not after months of legal wrangling. The penalties must also serve the purpose of healing the community that was harmed. Fines collected from convictions and property seizures should be earmarked for community-based programs, such as drug treatment and rehabilitation services, after-school programs, and local police initiatives dedicated to community engagement and reducing drug damage. Â
Sentencing must send a clear message: the community will not tolerate those who prioritize illicit profit over public safety and life. The perpetrators who knowingly flood our streets with poison from behind the counter of a community business deserve the full, uncompromising force of the law. This is not just a matter of crime; it is a matter of protecting life and defending the right of every resident to live in a safe and thriving neighborhood. Â
The opinions expressed in this commentary are those of the writer and not necessarily those of the AFRO.