Open-air drug markets defined New York crimes. They present countless problems to the society to those involved in the trade, law enforcement agencies, and society as a whole. This essay seeks to examine primary sources that captured the era when open-air drug markets were at their height in New York. The three primary sources are the song “Waiting for the Man,” the article “The Quarter Kids,” and a New York article on policy changes at NYPD dated 1972.
From the song lyrics, it is clear that drug dealing happened outdoors. The protagonist walks to Lexington and 125th street which according to the questions he is asked hints that the neighborhood is predominantly black. The protagonist seems to in the street and that is why he is asked (by a stranger and not the seller) whether he is there for black women. Moreover, Lexington Avenue in Harlem is a subway which further reveals drug dealing is done outdoors and in public.
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The song suggests that drug dealing occurred between people who knew each other on a one-to-one basis. The protagonist mentions that he is looking for a dear, dear friend of his ( Velvet Underground, 1967 ). This shows that the dealer is known to him. This is also in evidence in the third verse, where the protagonist sees him approaching. The dealer arrives in a subtle fashion with all-black clothing not to attract attention. This allows him to blend and stay hidden at all times. However, he is betrayed by his Puerto Rican (PR) shoes popular at the time for smack dealers. He as well knows the dealer's timing.
The legal change mentioned in “The Quarter Kids” is the 1973 New York Drug Law. The law described the amount of drugs in possession by a drug dealer that could send them to jail which is prescribed as being between 15-25years. The consequence of this change is that older drug dealers began using youths since jail term for them was certain if they were caught. The legal changes produced this consequence as a side-effect but were honestly aimed at harshly dealing with drug dealing. The consequence is a fearful reaction by the targets to evade the harsh reality by using those they perceive as not subject to the change.
“The Quarter Kids” mentions the disclosures of the Knapp Commission was responsible for bringing quarterkids or underage teens into the drug dealing market. The Knapp Commission had earlier on the discouraged arrest of criminal elements involved in drugs arguing that the arrests were potentially corruption-prone hazards. In a bid to undo the mess created by Knapp Commission increased arrests meant that the drug dealing was left to quarterkids.
The New York Editorial has mentioned the Knapp Commission and its consequences. The article mentioned that the police department was shifting its enforcement on gambling and small-time narcotics pushers ( New York Times, 1972 ). Moreover, they aimed at reducing these groups to a fraction of their former selves which shows that some changes had led to their proliferation. Another consequence of the Knapp Commission is the centralization of narcotics enforcement. This consequence aimed at reducing opportunities for police corruption which were linked to small-time narcotics and gamblers. These consequences led to changes in the police department such as using a small force of policemen can use in operations and money that undercover police can use.
References
New York Times. (1972, January 13). City Police Changing Enforcement in Gambling and Narcotics, With Purpose of Focusing on Major Dealers . The New York Times - Breaking News, World News & Multimedia. https://www.nytimes.com/1972/01/13/archives/city-police-changing-enforcement-in-gambling-and-narcotics-with.html
Velvet Underground. (1967). YouTube [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kla_Jd7EyT4
