Bogalusa ‘crackhouse’ closed briefly, then reopens

By Jacob Brooks
The Daily News
Published/Last Modified on Monday, November 2, 2009 9:10 AM CST


Bogalusa City Councilman Paul Penton has a simple word for the home at 1117 Long Avenue: “Crackhouse.”

Actually, it’s not much of a home at all. Dozens of cigarette butts litter the kitchen sink, razor blades and latex gloves lie on a nearby table and funky furniture and sour smells linger from one dark room to the next.

“It’s been condemned for a long time,” said Penton, who came through the neighborhood with other volunteers, including fellow councilman Michael O’Ree, two weeks ago during the “Fix My Block” campaign.

(Use arrows above to view more photos)

Advertisement
Volunteer work crews picked up outside trash and boarded up the windows and doors to the blue house that sits directly across from Long Avenue Elementary School, which has been closed for several years.

Penton said he’s not sure who the owner is, but squatters and drug users use the house to sell drugs and other activities.

“It’s basically a crackhouse,” Penton said, adding he thought the boarded up windows and doors would keep people out.

He was wrong.

Less than 10 days after the volunteers worked on the house, the back door was already open again, with the piece of plywood that was barring the entrance thrown to the ground.

“And now they’re already back in it — to do drugs,” Penton said disgustingly.

Before calling the newspaper about the house, Penton said he called police, who investigated and found discarded pipes and other drug paraphernalia like dirty spoons and plastic baggies.

The city councilman said he plans on boarding the back door again, and hopes that this time, the crackheads don’t come back.

 

Copyright © 2010 Daily News

Comments

    Reader Comments

    The following are comments from the readers. In no way do they represent the view of downtownnews.com.

    RB wrote on Nov 2, 2009 11:57 AM:

    " How hard would it be to set up surveillance and find out who the culprits are? Come BPD, this is too easy! Then after you grab the CRACKHEADS they’ll take you to their dealer if, you hang a stiff enough charge against them?

    Just a thought "

    LaMsMan wrote on Nov 2, 2009 1:40 PM:

    " Isn't it the policy for the Bogalusa City Council to give the owner(s) a certain number of days to clean or raze the property, THEN the city tears it down at the owner's expense? Why can't this be done since the property has been condemned for a long time according to the article. "

    ponemah wrote on Nov 2, 2009 6:53 PM:

    " Another reason for city government to revise and enforce codes......bulldozer. I have one and I'll lend it free of charge. "

    Ex- Druge Dealer wrote on Nov 2, 2009 10:11 PM:

    " The only way that you are going to keep the crackheads out is to tear the house down. "

    Karol wrote on Nov 3, 2009 11:30 AM:

    " Why don't the city just get ripe of the house completed. How hard is that? "

    Get it together BPD...Bogalusa wrote on Nov 4, 2009 6:18 PM:

    " R U Serious...is it THAT HARD TO knock the house down? All you are doing is making it "warmer" for the winter...ohhhh BPD "

    why-me wrote on Nov 4, 2009 8:26 PM:

    " BPD said to me once, we know who it is we will get them later.And let them walk away. There are no room in the jail. we book them and turn them loose. Duh, which way did he go. "

    Mary Franklin wrote on Nov 5, 2009 5:16 PM:

    " I think "BPD" is doing a mighty fine job.However durning the towns hall meetings we would like to discuss ways in which will help improve the drughouse situations. "

    addict in remission wrote on Nov 5, 2009 11:28 PM:

    " If we as a community don't take the initiative to rid our streets of this "problem" it will only get worse. If we tear this one down, they will find another one. What should we do in that case? Tear the next one down also. I also wonder why the owner/s of the property are not found and being held accountable? I know the BPD is understaffed and underpaid, but... there is an answer somewhere. The cycle has to stop. "

    connie wrote on Nov 7, 2009 4:08 PM:

    " its that easy no one knows who the place belongs bull dozer guy said a great word free dozer so there u go no crackhouse if it just dirt. are fix it up and rent it to the crackheads profit for the city "

    just tear them all down wrote on Nov 8, 2009 11:34 PM:

    " tear all of them down this is ridiculous to put board on a window thinking that is going to keep them out all they need is the same thing you needed to put it up i think all these houses that are unsanitary to our neighbors house and our own should come down not just the houses where there is a lot of traffic every neighborhood white black green yellow clean this city up and while your at it take a bulldozer down columbia st and clear that out to "

    suspicious wrote on Nov 9, 2009 8:31 AM:

    " "The following are comments from the readers. In no way do they represent the view of downtownnews.com. "

    HUH? In NO WAY? NEVER? This is a very strange disclaimer, indeed!

    Shouldn't The Daily News DARE to take a STAND?

    ... is The Daily News afraid of City Hall? "

    suspicious wrote on Nov 9, 2009 8:36 AM:

    " so many really good comments here concerning this "crack house" issue!

    WHY are we complicating such a simple issue as demolishing this crack house?

    YES, they will move on and on and on... DEAL WITH THIS HEAD ON!

    Tear all abandoned, blighted houses down.

    Remove the hiding places and maybe they will go elsewhere to "do drugs" ... "

    Submit a Comment

    We encourage your feedback and dialogue. All comments will be reviewed by our Web staff before appearing on the Web site.
    (optional)
       

Write a Comment

Comment posters are responsible for the opinions they express and the accuracy of the information they provide. We urge comment writers to treat this as a public forum where manners matter. We encourage a collegial, non-insulting tone. All readers comments must be approved by our staff before posting to the Web site. Be aware, in accordance with the Communications Decency Act and provisions upheld in judicial appeal, that you are responsible for comments posted on this Web site. The Daily News is not liable for messages from third parties.



DO NOT POST:
* Potentially libelous statements or damaging innuendo.
* Obscene, explicit, or racist language.
* Personal attacks, insults or threats.
* The use of another person's real name to disguise your identity.
* Comments unrelated to the story.

Opinions, advice and all other information expressed in gobogalusa.com's reader comments represent the individual's own views and not necessarily those of the Daily News. The Daily News does not endorse and is not responsible for statements, advice or opinions offered by anyone other than authorized Daily News spokespersons.

Thank you for your comments!

Reader Comments

The following are comments from the readers. In no way do they represent the view of downtownnews.com.

RB wrote on Nov 2, 2009 11:57 AM:

" How hard would it be to set up surveillance and find out who the culprits are? Come BPD, this is too easy! Then after you grab the CRACKHEADS they’ll take you to their dealer if, you hang a stiff enough charge against them?

Just a thought "

LaMsMan wrote on Nov 2, 2009 1:40 PM:

" Isn't it the policy for the Bogalusa City Council to give the owner(s) a certain number of days to clean or raze the property, THEN the city tears it down at the owner's expense? Why can't this be done since the property has been condemned for a long time according to the article. "

ponemah wrote on Nov 2, 2009 6:53 PM:

" Another reason for city government to revise and enforce codes......bulldozer. I have one and I'll lend it free of charge. "

Ex- Druge Dealer wrote on Nov 2, 2009 10:11 PM:

" The only way that you are going to keep the crackheads out is to tear the house down. "

Karol wrote on Nov 3, 2009 11:30 AM:

" Why don't the city just get ripe of the house completed. How hard is that? "

Get it together BPD...Bogalusa wrote on Nov 4, 2009 6:18 PM:

" R U Serious...is it THAT HARD TO knock the house down? All you are doing is making it "warmer" for the winter...ohhhh BPD "

why-me wrote on Nov 4, 2009 8:26 PM:

" BPD said to me once, we know who it is we will get them later.And let them walk away. There are no room in the jail. we book them and turn them loose. Duh, which way did he go. "

Mary Franklin wrote on Nov 5, 2009 5:16 PM:

" I think "BPD" is doing a mighty fine job.However durning the towns hall meetings we would like to discuss ways in which will help improve the drughouse situations. "

addict in remission wrote on Nov 5, 2009 11:28 PM:

" If we as a community don't take the initiative to rid our streets of this "problem" it will only get worse. If we tear this one down, they will find another one. What should we do in that case? Tear the next one down also. I also wonder why the owner/s of the property are not found and being held accountable? I know the BPD is understaffed and underpaid, but... there is an answer somewhere. The cycle has to stop. "

connie wrote on Nov 7, 2009 4:08 PM:

" its that easy no one knows who the place belongs bull dozer guy said a great word free dozer so there u go no crackhouse if it just dirt. are fix it up and rent it to the crackheads profit for the city "

just tear them all down wrote on Nov 8, 2009 11:34 PM:

" tear all of them down this is ridiculous to put board on a window thinking that is going to keep them out all they need is the same thing you needed to put it up i think all these houses that are unsanitary to our neighbors house and our own should come down not just the houses where there is a lot of traffic every neighborhood white black green yellow clean this city up and while your at it take a bulldozer down columbia st and clear that out to "

suspicious wrote on Nov 9, 2009 8:31 AM:

" "The following are comments from the readers. In no way do they represent the view of downtownnews.com. "

HUH? In NO WAY? NEVER? This is a very strange disclaimer, indeed!

Shouldn't The Daily News DARE to take a STAND?

... is The Daily News afraid of City Hall? "

suspicious wrote on Nov 9, 2009 8:36 AM:

" so many really good comments here concerning this "crack house" issue!

WHY are we complicating such a simple issue as demolishing this crack house?

YES, they will move on and on and on... DEAL WITH THIS HEAD ON!

Tear all abandoned, blighted houses down.

Remove the hiding places and maybe they will go elsewhere to "do drugs" ... "

Submit a Comment

We encourage your feedback and dialogue. All comments will be reviewed by our Web staff before appearing on the Web site.
(optional)
   

Multimedia


VHS student performs King of Pop tribute

Varnado High School sophomore Deaviance Brock, accompanied by the VHS band, performs a Michael Jackson tribute at halftime of the Varnado-Pine game Oct. 2.


Click here for all videos

Contact Us




Make Us Your Homepage

Advertisement