The Winston-Salem Police Department has implemented a new initiative called the "New Hope Initiative" to address open-air drug markets and associated crimes. The initiative aims to arrest chronic offenders, offer alternatives to non-chronic offenders, and coordinate resources for non-chronic offenders through community partnerships. An undercover narcotics operation has identified a high crime area between 14th and 25th Streets and Liberty and Dunleith Avenues. The initiative has seen early success due to strong community support from various partners.

1. Press Release
Winston-Salem Police Department
“New Hope Initiative”
The Winston-Salem Police Department, in conjunction with community partners, has
implemented a new initiative to address “open-air drug markets” and the crimes associated with
those markets. The partnership has been working to identify strategic locations where street drug
dealing is prevalent. The goal of this initiative is to stop the “open-air drug markets” and reduce
crime associated with street level drug sales, as well as develop partnerships with the community
and citizens most affected by these crimes.
The “New Hope Initiative” is designed to arrest chronic offenders, offer alternatives to non-
chronic offenders, and to coordinate the resources available to the non-chronic offenders through
the partnerships.
The area selected for this initiative was determined by crime statistics and arrest data from July
2003 thru June 2004. This data defined the area as Fourteenth Street north to Twenty-fifth Street
and Liberty Street east to Dunleith Avenue. An extensive undercover narcotics operation has
been ongoing since July 2004 and is continuing. The focus of this operation has been on narcotic
sellers, buyers, and the individuals who openly facilitate these crimes.
Thus far, this initiative has been successful due to overwhelming community involvement and
support. Community partners include Center for Community Safety at WSSU, NAACP, City of
Winston-Salem, Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office, Housing Authority of Winston-Salem,
Northwest Piedmont Council of Governments, Urban League, Partnership for a Drug-Free NC
(formerly Step One), Forsyth County District Attorney's Office, North Carolina Department of
Community Corrections, United States Attorney's Office, Cleveland Avenue Residents Council,
New Hope Baptist Church, New
Jerusalem Baptist Church and other local churches in the Cleveland Avenue
Community.
On March 29, 2005 a notification for qualified offenders was held at the Winston-Salem Public
Safety Center. The community partners met with these offenders and demanded that their drug
related activity cease. The partners then provided them with legitimate alternatives to sustain
themselves and their families.
The partnership recognizes that this is the first step in eliminating “open-air drug markets” in
Winston-Salem and is committed to doing what it takes to make it happen.
Questions regarding this initiative should be directed to Captain David Clayton @ 728-3911.