The increased drug activity comes at a time when the area around the park is booming with high-end condo construction as well as the opening of new businesses and restaurants. The dichotomy of the situation was in plain view Thursday night as couples enjoying dinner or a movie or shopping walked arm-in-arm along 200 South to get their cars while directly across the street a crack dealer was making a sale.

The drug problem associated with the park is nothing new. But public awareness was heightened on Oct. 12 when one man was killed and a second was critically injured in the park by a man with a knife who was shot and killed by police. Since then, the park has become one of this election year's hot potatoes.

Both candidates to take Rocky Anderson's seat as mayor, Ralph Becker and Dave Buhler, said they support the idea of putting surveillance cameras in Pioneer Park to curb drug activity.

Earlier this month, business owners and residents packed a small coffee shop to organize a Neighborhood Watch program.

In September, Anderson and Burbank announced a "major campaign" to rid the city of drug-related problems by going after the people who buy drugs. The first phase of that project was to focus on Pioneer Park. In the same month, council members approved about $420,000 for park upgrades as part of Anderson's proposed $4 million park makeover.

The mayor has been fighting for several years with the City Council to get funds to implement his three-stage plan. Anderson's vision for the park includes an off-leash dog area, a cafe, bell tower, volleyball courts and historic gardens. Construction on some of those items has already begun. Stage two includes new restrooms, a concession area, a public plaza and a pavilion.

Not just a police problem

After just a few minutes of circling the streets near the park, one can see why Burbank has said, "We can't arrest ourselves out of this problem."

Drug dealers are easy to spot. And there are a lot them. Finding a dealer is almost like looking for a scalper on the street before a Utah Jazz game, only there are triple to quadruple the number of drug dealers. Even as an undercover officer pulls over to buy drugs, two more dealers approach another nearby undercover vehicle with plain-clothed officers inside who aren't even trying to buy.

But as Ross noted, there wouldn't be that many dealers if the demand for the drugs wasn't there.

Approximately 70 percent of the people arrested around the park reoffend during the first year after their arrest, Burbank said. The police department even did its own study this year to assess the extent of the problem.