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4 alleged drug dealers will try to make good

Alleged drug dealers caught in a corner sales sting promise to turn their lives around in intervention program.

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By Ryan Gauthier, Staff Writer 2:37 AM Saturday, November 21, 2009

MIDDLETOWN — Four suspected drug dealers selected to take part in the city’s drug market intervention program have officially committed to turning their lives around.

Katrina Wilson of the Freedom Community Development Corp. said Friday, Nov. 20, she met with all four males — two 18-year-olds and two 16-year-olds — to talk about the long journey ahead of them.

“It was good to get to meet all four of them face-to-face,” Wilson said. “We learned a lot from them and will be working on a plan to help each of them succeed.”

Wilson spoke at length with Deon Hunter and Marquan Cook, both 18, and two juveniles, all identified by police as low-level drug dealers.

“They were truly grateful to be selected to get another chance,” Wilson said.

Police said the program requirements include staying away from Eighth Avenue in the city’s 2nd Ward, which has been pinpointed as a problem area for open-air drug dealing. They also will have to agree to get a job and participate in any assistance they may need, such as tutoring and drug and alcohol counseling. Otherwise, they will face felony drug trafficking charges.

Officers identified the four as candidates for the community intervention program through an undercover drug operation.

Wilson said the males will begin regularly meeting with her next week, at which point they will take a career assessment and determine what type of educational opportunities interest them.

“Once we put together a service plan for them we’ll begin to help them reach their goals,” Wilson said. “We’ll have weekly contact with them and assign them mentors to make sure they’re sticking to the plan.”

Police on Thursday conducted an undercover sting operation to arrest drug users who frequently drove to the target area to make felony drug purchases. As a result, police made three arrests — two for obstructing official business and one for attempted possession of crack cocaine.

The city is also going to be working to ensure the open-air drug market along Eighth Avenue remains closed, with stepped-up patrols planned in the area. Dilapidated housing in the target area likely will be demolished under the watch of the community revitalization department and Old South Park will receive new playground equipment funded though community development block grants, according to the city.

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