St. Louis police say they are finally cracking down on drug dealing at the open-air market in Downtown West, citing nine arrests since Friday. Police spokesman Mitch McCoy wouldn’t say specifically where the arrests happened—“because then we’re giving everybody an opportunity to go get drugs”—but did say that they came as a result of directed patrols in response to complaints. Many were the result of officers spotting hand-to-hand drug deals. Officers have applied for more than a dozen felony charges, including for drug dealing and others related to a stolen car and stolen copper.
Asked by a reporter why it took months for the police to take action on the open-air market, McCoy replied, “If you go fishing, would you rather get a goldfish or a big bass or salmon?” He wouldn’t say whether that big fish had been caught yet, but added the investigation into the drug market is still ongoing: “We’re not stopping. We have great information and intel that we’re working with right now to make a bigger splash.”
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McCoy said that the recent busts were the result of a new patrol strategy implemented last Friday.
Residents of downtown and Downtown West have for months complained about open-air drug dealing in their neighborhoods, with much of the ire concerning a park in between Soldiers Memorial Military Museum and Central Library, as well as close to two schools.
Multiple outlets, including St. Louis Magazine, reported on the problem. Last month, you only had to linger around the park for a few minutes to witness cars pulling up to it and quick transactions taking place. In the greenspace of the park, drug users seemed unable to stay upright or simply lay passed out on the ground.
The city closed down the park for one week starting September 8, although at the time, that seemed to only shift people a block or two away.
McCoy was adamant the recent arrests are part of a bigger strategy to go after the “big fish.”
“We don’t want to run around and chase people from one block to another, because at that point you’re just wasting resources,” he said.
He added that the department’s focus had to be on more than just hand-to-hand drug transactions, “because that is a slap on the wrist.” He said the department’s ultimate goal was the people “creating a nuisance, not just in downtown St. Louis, but in neighborhoods across the city.”
At the same press conference, McCoy announced the arrest of a 20-year-old in connection to the shooting death of 16-year-old Darrell Price, which happened Monday night at the Papa John’s parking lot near Saint Louis University’s campus. The victim and suspect had arranged to meet up regarding marijuana when “some sort of robbery or robbery attempt” occurred. An 18-year-old at the scene later came forward, surrendered to police and is sharing information with investigators.
