The corner of A and Jackson streets is where drugs are sold daily openly on the street. It’s not secret. Everyone in that community knows it. You can drive by there at all hours of the day and see young black males waiting for customers, making deals.
On IN Your Head TV, I had a caller on Tuesday who was clearly frustrated by the drug dealing at this corner. An older gentleman, he said that he was really frustrated by the dealers selling so openly, with no fear—“But being 6’2″, they don’t mess with me that much.”
Asst. Police Chief Chip Simmons was my guest for that show. He talked about the Pensacola Police Department periodically increasing patrols in the area and having officers park their cars in the area and writing their reports near the corner.
That isn’t working.
The corner is in the city council district of Jewel Cannada-Wynn and only a few blocks west of Ronald Townsend’s district —what do they think about having the one of the most open drug dealing spots in their neighborhoods? How about Escambia County Commissioner Marie Young? Has she ever ridden by that corner and seen the drugs being sold in her district?
We know the African-American city council members are concerned about a five-minute tourism video—but what about the drug dealing in their districts? Which is really more important? When we will they lead the charge to take this street corner away from the drug dealers?
Marie Young sat out of the Brownsville Middle School acquisition issue. Will she sit out on this one, too?
Ms. Cannada-Wynn, Mr. Townsend and Ms. Young, your constituents are crying out for help. Drug dealers have taken over their street corner…and they feel abandoned.