Inside a Phoenix Crack House — Just Before the Man Tore it Down

The city of Phoenix is down one crack house today, after the Phoenix Police Department, in collaboration with the City of Phoenix, Habitat for Humanity, and the County Attorney's Office, leveled a crack house near 27th Avenue and Van Buren Street this morning.City and police officials (from the Phoenix P.D.'s...
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The city of Phoenix is down one crack house today, after the Phoenix Police Department, in collaboration with the City of Phoenix, Habitat for Humanity, and the County Attorney’s Office, leveled a crack house near 27th Avenue and Van Buren Street this morning.

City and police officials (from the Phoenix P.D.’s highly criticized South Mountain Precinct) used the demolition as an opportunity to tout their efforts in cleaning up the city and destroying known havens for criminals (not a bad idea, ya know, after yesterday).

City Councilman Claude Mattox says the house was a known hangout for drug dealers and users. At one point, he says, a 13-year-old girl was raped there.

The place looked like a dump, and watching it crumble put a smile on the faces of just about all the 30-or-so people who gathered in front of it for the destruction party.

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Check out some photos after the jump.

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