ABSTRACT
The advent of crack in the 1980s led to a proliferation of highly visible drug markets in New York and other large US cities and an epidemic of violence associated with dealing. In response to public demands to deal with this situation, the police increasingly began to focus their efforts on street-level dealing. Sellers conduct the actual retail sales and are responsible for both money and drugs, while low-level distributors are persons who assist in sales work, but who are not responsible for both money and drugs. They may count money, dispense drugs, serve as lookouts, and perform a variety of support roles–but generally only under the direction of a seller. The findings are discussed under three main headings: seller strategies to avoid police; seller strategies to counter police tactics; specific responses to Tactical Narcotics Teams.
