DETROIT – Detroit police say people are peddling drugs in senior apartments.
In a recent bust at an apartment on East Jefferson, they discovered over $105,000 worth of narcotics and guns.
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The reality is becoming increasingly common across many complexes and is impacting seniors across the city.
Senior David Cook lives in a senior apartment on Detroit’s west side.
He’s reached out to Local 4’s Kyla Russell multiple times over the past several weeks, saying the daily drumbeat of drugs is a constant burden.
“You can see them doing deals, and the guys will just come out, and he was on the first floor, he used to come out, serve somebody in the back,” Cook said.
Local 4 is learning he isn’t the only senior in this situation.
“Why do you think they target senior apartments?” Local 4 asked Cook.
“A lot of people, a lot of seniors, still do drugs,” Cook said.
Police say there’s a deeper, dangerous reason for that.
“A lot of time you’ll see senior citizens engaged in, whether it’s pain management or having a history of medications, they will develop a dependency,” Detroit Police Department Organized Crime Captain John Stewart said.
Many seniors will turn to street drugs.
Local 4 asked Stewart about the busts.
He says they have to raid apartments regularly.
“There’s a willing customer base that’s inside,” Stewart said.
The bust on Feb. 5 happened in the 8300 block of East Jefferson Avenue.
Along the street, there is a string of senior apartments. Residents told Local 4 that drugs are a persistent presence at all of them.
At the bust, DPD found 1,000 grams of cocaine, almost 70 grams of fentanyl, 1,903.5 grams of marijuana, $340 in cash, three handguns, and one AR-15.
“What’s your message to people that are peddling drugs there?” Local 4 asked.
“My main message to them would be that, right now, we have record crime lows, we got a 95% filled department,” Stewart said. “We have a posture of proactivity like I’ve never seen it before in my time on the job, so we have time for you.”
Police identify the apartments with issues by looking at where overdoses are happening in older people across the city.
“We are an easy target, they marked, we are the easy prey,” Cook said.
Anyone who wants to make an anonymous tip about the presence of drugs can call (313) 224-DOPE.