I have to tell someone about this.
This morning at 5am DH and I woke up to what sounded like two gunshots and loud voices RIGHT outside our window. We jumped up(bedrooms are on the second floor) and ran to look out the window. There were TONS of police cars blocking all intersections around our neighborhood, but no cops to be seen. We watched and wondered until the cops left, surprisingly without any kind of obvious investigation. So we figured it must not be a gun or there'd be more people about. We went back to bed for a bit with David(Lori slept through it!) in our bed. As we were leaving this morning to take DH to work, an officer walks up to us and says they're canvasing the neighborhood(which I'm going great, there's some nut running around).
She(the officer) explains that the sounds we heard this morning were actually "flash-bangs" and that they raided the house two houses over for narcotics and arrested 5. Our kids played with the kids over there! Now, two houses over is technically a street over but because we live in a 'development' it's kind of L shaped and no one has back yards. I couldn't believe it. We're in the 'nice' neighborhood. I know drugs don't have economic lines, but to have it so close?!
Reason #45938 we are looking to buy a home in the country. We want to be somewhere where even if our neighbor IS selling drugs, we're too far away to hear the flash-bangs of the raid.

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Yikes! What is a flash-bang, btw?

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They're canisters kind of like grenades where you pull a pin and throw. When a flashbang is detonated, it produces an extremely bright flash of light which temporarily overstimulates the retina. As a result, people cannot see for around five to 10 seconds; since most people prefer to remain stationary when they are visually disoriented, the flash can bring the people involved in a situation to a temporary halt which can allow members of law enforcement to quickly move in and take control. The deafening bang also contributes to feelings of disorientation; depending on one's proximity to the device, it can cause a lingering ringing feeling in the ears. They're considered harmless when used in safe conditions.
I grew up around guns and I really truly thought it was a gun shot. I can only imagine how scary it would be to wake up to that in your home!

ETA: I would like to point out that they should have considered that before dealing drugs out of their home. It would be scary, but having drug dealers where my kids play is scarier.

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Wow! Even worse that there are kids involved. I guess they've probably been pulled into foster care.

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I talked to a neighbor who's been here longer, apparently they didn't have kids, just didn't mind when the kids were playing around their house so it wasn't unusual to see kids there but no kids lived there. Thank goodness.

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Oh, wow, okay. That's good.

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That's why my closest and best neighbors are the Alpacas in the fence behind my house. Well they are ties with the cows and donkeys in the field next to us. We have lived here 13 yrs and never have even spoken to our nearest neighbor. Its so quiet. I say if you can get in the country do it. Winter driving stinks here but in the summer when we are all kicking back by a bonfire looking at the stars it is all worth it!!

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Jan. 1-June 7th(My birthday)

Wow JL, I don't blame you. I know all too well how you feel. I live in BFE in a tiny, horrid little town and about every other house or so is a dealers and/or users. Most here deal to buy the bigger stuff, not to get rich. Either way, it sucks. I hope y'all can get out of there soon.

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Krysti