Grove Hall drug trade
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David Boeri reports on drug activity in the Grove Hall area of Roxbury. Boeri notes that Grove Hall residents say that the drug trade is out of control and are demanding more action from police. Boeri reports that police are increasing patrols in the area and that Ray Flynn (Mayor of Boston) has cited an increase in the number of arrests in the area. Boeri interviews Nathaniel Askia (former Director, FIRST., Inc.). Askia discusses the drug trade in Roxbury. Jones' report includes footage from an interview with William Celester (Deputy Superintendent, Boston Police Department). Celester says that police officers are making arrests. He adds that the courts are releasing drug arrestees back onto the streets. Boeri notes that most of the people arrested by police on drug charges are not the big dealers who control the drug trade on the streets. Jones' report is accompanied by footage of police officers making a drug arrest on Humboldt Avenue and by footage of police officers on the streets of Roxbury. This tape includes additional footage of police officers making a drug arrest on Humboldt Avenue.
This edition of the Ten O'Clock News also included the following item:
Marcus Jones reports on Congressional debate over a bill that would impose sanctions on the apartheid regime in South Africa
1:00:13: Visual: Footage of police officers making two drug arrests on Humboldt Avenue. Shot of a white police officer putting handcuffs onto an African American man. The man stands near the door of a red sports car. Shots of police officers putting handcuffs onto a white woman; of a police officer searching for drugs in a handbag. Shots of a police officer speaking to the white woman in handcuffs. Shot of a police officer searching the trunk of the red sports car. Shots of a plastic bag full of drugs; of the white woman getting into the back of a police car. Shots of police officers searching the red sports car. Shot of a police officer saying that the woman's license had been suspended. Shots of individual packets containing drugs. Shot of a police cruiser driving away with the white woman in the backseat. David Boeri reports that a six-block area of Grove Hall had police officers on every corner today. Boeri reports that the two people arrested were not the big drug dealers who control the drug traffic in Grove Hall. Boeri reports that Nathaniel Askia (former Director, FIRST, Inc.) runs a drug rehabilitation center; that Askia is a former drug addict and criminal. V: Shot of Boeri and Askia crossing a street in Roxbury. Footage of Askia being interviewed by Boeri on the street. Askia says that there is an organized structure to the drug trade. Askia says that youth are used as runners and lookouts; that there is drug activity taking place in the hallways of apartment buildings. Boeri reports that Roxbury residents says that they are held hostage in their own homes by drug activity. V: Shot from a moving car of large residential homes on a side street in Roxbury. Shot from a moving car of a main street in Roxbury. A young teenager walks down the street toward a group of police officers. Audio of Askia saying that kids will take orders for and deliver drugs. Boeri reports that drug dealers take refuge in unoccupied apartment in Roxbury. V: Shot of a boarded-up apartment building. Footage of William Celester (Deputy Superintendent, Boston Police Department) pointing to a boarded-up apartment building. Celester says that drug dealers can travel along the rooftops of apartment buildings. Shots of the rooftops of the apartment buildings. Boeri reports that Celester disagrees with critics who says that the Boston Police Department is not doing enough to combat drugs. Boeri says that Celester believes that the problem lies with the courts. V: Shots of police officers standing on a sidewalk. Footage of Celester being interviewed. Celester says that the people arrested here usually have four or five prior arrests. Celester says that these people are back on the streets before the police officers are. Boeri stands on Humboldt Avenue. Boeri says that the police sweep on Humboldt Avenue began last week; that no one knows how long the police crackdown will last. Boeri reports that Ray Flynn (Mayor of Boston) has cited an increased number of arrests in the area; that Flynn mistakenly inflated the street value of the seized drugs by $90 million. Boeri reports that Grove Hall residents say that the situation is out of control; that residents expect more from the Police Department and from the courts.
1:00:13: Visual: Footage of police officers making two drug arrests on Humboldt Avenue. Shot of a white police officer putting handcuffs onto an African American man. The man stands near the door of a red sports car. Shots of police officers putting handcuffs onto a white woman; of a police officer searching for drugs in a handbag. Shots of a police officer speaking to the white woman in handcuffs. Shot of a police officer searching the trunk of the red sports car. Shots of a plastic bag full of drugs; of the white woman getting into the back of a police car. Shots of police officers searching the red sports car. Shot of a police officer saying that the woman's license had been suspended. Shots of individual packets containing drugs. Shot of a police cruiser driving away with the white woman in the backseat. David Boeri reports that a six-block area of Grove Hall had police officers on every corner today. Boeri reports that the two people arrested were not the big drug dealers who control the drug traffic in Grove Hall. Boeri reports that Nathaniel Askia (former Director, FIRST, Inc.) runs a drug rehabilitation center; that Askia is a former drug addict and criminal. V: Shot of Boeri and Askia crossing a street in Roxbury. Footage of Askia being interviewed by Boeri on the street. Askia says that there is an organized structure to the drug trade. Askia says that youth are used as runners and lookouts; that there is drug activity taking place in the hallways of apartment buildings. Boeri reports that Roxbury residents says that they are held hostage in their own homes by drug activity. V: Shot from a moving car of large residential homes on a side street in Roxbury. Shot from a moving car of a main street in Roxbury. A young teenager walks down the street toward a group of police officers. Audio of Askia saying that kids will take orders for and deliver drugs. Boeri reports that drug dealers take refuge in unoccupied apartment in Roxbury. V: Shot of a boarded-up apartment building. Footage of William Celester (Deputy Superintendent, Boston Police Department) pointing to a boarded-up apartment building. Celester says that drug dealers can travel along the rooftops of apartment buildings. Shots of the rooftops of the apartment buildings. Boeri reports that Celester disagrees with critics who says that the Boston Police Department is not doing enough to combat drugs. Boeri says that Celester believes that the problem lies with the courts. V: Shots of police officers standing on a sidewalk. Footage of Celester being interviewed. Celester says that the people arrested here usually have four or five prior arrests. Celester says that these people are back on the streets before the police officers are. Boeri stands on Humboldt Avenue. Boeri says that the police sweep on Humboldt Avenue began last week; that no one knows how long the police crackdown will last. Boeri reports that Ray Flynn (Mayor of Boston) has cited an increased number of arrests in the area; that Flynn mistakenly inflated the street value of the seized drugs by $90 million. Boeri reports that Grove Hall residents say that the situation is out of control; that residents expect more from the Police Department and from the courts.
