Jonathon Morris, U.S. Army Ranger, Ret. & Rowan County Sheep Baron
♦ Hate to break to all those people hunkering down in Salisbury waiting for the next big wave of break-ins and shootings. You can’t help but notice the city’s figures for violent crime and the killings climbing steadily. Is it because of more gang members? Or are gang members just ramping up their violence due meth?
Salisbury’s Latin and black gangs are developing a taste for meth and “Ice”–drugs until two years ago were only big in county. Now Mexican-made meth and even home grown meth labs are sprouting up all over Salisbury. Meth is cheap, easy to manufacture or import, is super addictive, and delivers a tremendous high.
You’ve read about Salisbury’s Thomas “The Chemist” Martinez and others manufacturing and selling meth in Salisbury. Who hasn’t seen those young men on half-pint bikes passing off little plastic bags on South Main. Latin gangs are importing and manufacturing meth and selling it to many Salisbury gangs.
Nothing like a gang member or a break-in artist sky-high on meth. 4 days without sleep and seeing everyone within 25 yards as disrespecting them. Pow! Pow! Pow!. Or the shop employee slow to open the register. Bap! Bap! Bap! Or the adrenaline courage, amped up by “Ice”, required to rob a supermarket or a bank without even bothering to scout ahead. A car-jack in a bank parking lot gone sour where the woman is left stuffed in a culvert. Meth is notorious for emboldening criminals or taking the cap off sudden rage.
Salisbury doesn’t have anywhere near enough police resources to deal with gangs on meth. It’s just starting.
