BANGOR, Maine — Anyone caught trying to sell drugs near playgrounds owned by Bangor Housing Authority could face much stiffer penalties in the future.
The city’s Government Operations Committee backed the housing authority’s request to designate playgrounds at Griffin Park, 194 Griffin Road, and Birch Circle, 1160 Ohio St., as “drug-free safe zones” during a committee meeting earlier this week.
In 2005, the 122nd Maine Legislature passed “An Act to Protect Children Using Maine’s Athletic Fields and Parks from Drug Dealers.” Existing law already allowed for harsher penalties for drug crimes committed near schools or school buses, but this law added athletic fields, parks, playgrounds and recreational areas used by children to the list of protected areas.
Under the law, trafficking in schedule W drugs, such as methamphetamine or cocaine, usually a Class B crime, elevates to Class A when it’s within a “safe zone.” Trafficking a schedule Z drug, such as marijuana, jumps from Class D to Class C. Trafficking more than 20 pounds of marijuana becomes a Class A crime. Class A crimes carry the most severe penalties and are punishable by up to 30 years in prison and a $50,000 fine, while less serious Class E crimes are punishable by up to six months incarceration and a $1,000 fine.
A city can only designate a safe zone if the facility is frequented by children and is clearly marked by signs informing people that it is a safe zone with stiffer drug crime penalties. The housing authority said it would cover all costs associated with the change, including the signs.
“This is just one more tool we can use to continue to have a strong stance against people using drugs around kids,” said Michael Myatt, executive director for Bangor Housing Authority.
Interim Bangor police Chief Peter Arno said prior to the committee meeting there have been “no problems in particular” with drug dealers in the areas around the housing authority parks, but that the statute would make it riskier and more difficult to purchase, deal or use illegal drugs in the area around the parks.
“Any drug dealer can attest to the fact that the enhanced penalties for dealing within 1,000 feet of a drug-free safe zone get their attention,” Arno said during the committee meeting. “And so I think this law has teeth.”
All city-owned parks already are designated drug-free safe zones, according to Arno. Myatt said Bangor Housing could have received the designation earlier, but the option had been “overlooked.”
During the meeting, Councilor James Gallant suggested the housing authority build more playgrounds at strategic points on its properties so more of its buildings and grounds fall into the safe zone category. Earlier this year, the authority expressed interest in building more playgrounds for the children who live in its housing.
“I would say every public housing space should be a drug-free safe zone,” said Councilor Ben Sprague.
It would be nice to see the Bangor Housing Authority, any housing authority for that matter, adopt a zero tolerence policy for any residents of their apartments when it comes to drug dealing. If someone is caught dealing in any city owned or state funded complex should be banned for life from their housing assistance.
And, any other subsistance provided by the state…
Time for the drug dealers to move on….. to Belfast.
No harsh school zone/playground laws in that seaside city.
Anything goes.
Belfast : Open for Business.
The state laws dictate the enhanced penalties for dealing drugs within 1,000 feet of a school, playground or other locations that children frequent.
For a brief period of time I was a resident of Bangor Housing, because I needed a place to get on my feet for my son and I. In my opinion Bangor Housing Authority is a bunch of great people. They do background checks on you prior to move in, and then recheck your background when its time for review, annually. Drug convictions ban you from living in Bangor Housing properties.
I am glad to hear that, sounds like they may be on top of it. Regardless of anyones situation and the reasons behind their need for housing assistance, they should not be subject to putting up with drug dealing and some of the associated crimes that come with it. People should have the right to live their lives and raise their children free from this type of enviroment.
I equate “zero tolerance” policies with “zero leadership”. I would hope that we can come up with public policy that is more informed, intelligent and well-rounded. Black and white solutions come from black and white thinkers, not the sort of people equipped to resolve complex issues. Ben Spague – I’m expecting more of you.
So what would a colorful thinker such as yourself come up with for a solution. Another methadone clinic or two to coddle the drug abusers.
Thanks for making my point. There is more than one answer to the problem – it doesn’t need to be an all or nothing proposition. Think – enforcement, education & treatment. It will take all three.
I like the idea of all three. What do we do when repeated attempts at treatment fail? We all know that the vast majority of drug abusers will fail at treatment. I wish that they would all accept the help of a treatment program and find success and go on to be happy, healthy and productive members of society, but that is just not reality. There is a point when it is time to stop extending a hand to those that will do nothing but bite it. Education is important, and it must start at a young age. Enforcement is essential for those that will not take the responsibility for or even recognize their problem and continue to sabotage themselves and continually break the law because of and to support their abuses.
What do we do when the first attempts at treatment are unsuccessful? We should keep trying. Because there is no alternative. Getting all black and white and falling back on a morality argument doesn’t solve anything.
A NY Times study revealed that 24% of people leave before the end of treatment on their own, 24% are asked to leave because of criminal activity, lack of participation, 8% complete the full amount of time for their treatment but fail and 44% complete the treatment program successfully, but there was no further explaination if or how long these people stayed clean. So for the 56% of people that failed, how many chances do they get to make it right and take treatment seriously and get them selves clean? This does not even take into consideration the millions that never even attempt treatment.
this is a step in the right direction for bangor…however I think we need to start curbing panhandlers…just yesterday I drove by 6 of them – 3 on broadway, 2 on stillwater and one on hogan road…i bet its been worse and tomorrow/tonight will be bad but police need to step up and move them along
I hope God gives you the opportunity to be one of the panhandlers some day and see how it feels. It would be nice to see someone as pathetic as yourself starve.
im not talking about all of them…but most of them are out to get money for alcohol, drugs, etc. most i’ve seen walk to acadia for their daily ration of methadone. stop condoning this activity…it never used to be that way.
btw my turkey and potatoes…mm stuffed
Most of them are scammers… they don’t deserve hard earned money from people who actually work
The sad thing is most of these people are scammers…. get a job at Mc Donalds
Very true most of the people that do these things are just scammers… there was an article previously on the BDN about how somebody from Manna gave a Pan Handler a brochure and the panhandler went off swearing at somebody offering them assistance
I wonder if these people if they were really in need would like a hotel room for a night, or a meal at Happy China…i’ve thought about offering but I’m sure I’d get turned down
haha probably
I buy a bunch of DD and McD’s gift cards to hand out. No one has ever turned them down in my experience. Hope you’ll give it a try!
Good direction to go in Bangor… That’s clean up the city and get a rid of these drug dealers
Gallant’s suggestion is exactly what’s wrong with the war on drugs in this country. Entrapment, putting more people in jail, stiffer penalties – none of that has been demonstrated, through any meaningful research, to have any effect on drug use. It’s time to legalize marijuana and use the revenue to promote the enforcement of stronger, more dangerous drugs, and addiction treatment.
Now that the new City Council Members are sworn in, the Council needs to spend some time educating itself about these complex social issues (like poverty, addiction, mental illness) before it starts pushing solutions. If the answers were easy, somebody would have come up with them long before our Tea-Party council members proposed them.
Maybe they can start by testing residents! If no one there is on drugs, there would be no reason for drug dealers to be there.