DEA, ATF working to solve robberies, arsons at pharmacies.
A recent increase in crime in Baltimore can be traced to gang activity, a Drug Enforcement Administration official told the WBAL-TV 11 News I-Team.
Violence and drugs go hand in hand, authorities say. The DEA’s focus is to get illegal drugs off the streets, but it has been a challenge in Baltimore with a sense of lawlessness on the streets.
Gary Tuggle, assistant special agent in charge of the DEA’s Baltimore District Office, is a native of Baltimore who was a city police officer in the Western District. He said gang members and so-called independent drug dealers are fueling much of the violence in the city.
“The uptick we are seeing, quite honestly, is the fact that they have space now and they are out and they’ve got the ability to deal drugs, and some feel they can deal with impunity,” Tuggle said.
Tuggle said police are concerned about self-preservation and retribution when they’re doing their jobs, which also leads to the violence.
[…]
Complete text and video linked here.
