COUNTY STREET DEALERS UNDAUNTED BY RAID

NEW BEDFORD -- Just days after police raided a neighborhood apartment and
arrested two men for trafficking in heroin, it was back to business as usual.

>From the steps of the very apartment house where the arrests took place,
three men flagged passing cars and made transactions right on the street in
the middle of the day Wednesday.

"It's like an infestation of cockroaches," said Miguel Lugo, 40, fixing his
car just two doors down from the 868 County St. address raided Monday.
"They put one out of business and another one pops up to take his place."

On the corner of Weld and County streets, at Eileen's and Bob's market,
owner Joe Antil had to order a group of males out of the store; he said
they were dealing drugs on Wednesday.

"I got a truck parked out front and the guy's trying to bring in the milk
delivery. And these guys are getting in the way," said Mr. Antil, 35. "I'm
just so aggravated."

Despite the fact that Wednesday's bright, springlike weather brought
neighbors out onto the street, there is nothing subtle or furtive about
what the cars idling along the curb are obtaining from the men on the
sidewalks.

They call across traffic to each other, whistle to get the attention of
customers and boldly brush past neighbors coming in and out of their homes.

This section of County Street, a block up from Weld Square, hasn't always
been this way, neighbors say.

The street has the look of a solid middle-class enclave, with three-story
apartment houses and mothers pushing strollers on the sidewalks.

"The mayor, the cops, they had it all cleaned up," said Mr. Antil, who used
to live above the store but has moved out of the city. "They did a good job."

But in recent years --particularly in the last few months -- the drug trade
has moved in and become blatant.

Mr. Antil's family has run the corner store for 35 years.

The easy access to Route 195, and the stiffer enforcement in traditional
drug hot spots such as North Front Street and Weld Square have pushed drugs
- -- and residents say the drugs are primarily heroin and cocaine -- here.

It was well known in the neighborhood that drugs were flowing out of the
first floor of 868 County St., and it was complaints from neighbors that
prompted police to raid it.

Mr. Antil and others can point to other houses in the neighborhood where
dealers operate.

"They have scanners; when you call the police, they know," said Mr. Antil.
"By the time the police come, the streets are cleared."

Calls to the police are frequent, neighbors say, but as a practical matter,
Mr. Antil said he usually just shoos dealers and users away from his business.

Mr. Lugo said some neighbors might hesitate to inform the police about the
drug activity they see.

"For me, I fear nothing," he said. "But I'm afraid for my kids. You don't
want to be starting trouble."

Mr. Hugo and others said more patrols would help.

"But the cops are trying," said Mr. Antil. "And they can't be here
baby-sitting us all day, every day."