1.   But most of the recent fires ruined securely boarded houses, doing little to eliminate blatant drug dealing or vagrancy.

2.   Deputy Chief Thomas P. Fahey, a department spokesman, denied those claims, arguing that it did not make sense for officers to ignore blatant drug use.

3.   Other modern touches include blatant drug addiction and hints of lesbianism.

4.   They said the New Orleans Police Department had been ineffectual at best in dealing with blatant drug traffic, burglaries, prostitution, robberies and assaults.