For about a decade, residents of southwest Detroit near Woodmere Cemetery existed in an uneasy peace with the man called Mr. Pill.

Aram Alkazoff — known as one of the most prolific prescription drug dealers in Detroit — was slowly destroying the neighborhood.

Residents say that people associated with Dr. Pill started taking over abandoned houses in 2008, stripping them, squatting and threatening the neighbors who saw them do it.

Complaints mounted, first to police, then to elected officials and community and business organizations that support southwest Detroit.

In 2009, state Rep. Rashida Tlaib, a Democrat who represents the Woodmere-Lawndale-Springwells area, started the block club. That same year, the Southwest Detroit Business Association adapted its nuisance-abatement program for residents of the neighborhood.

Dennis Nordmoe, executive director of Urban Neighborhood Initiatives, based in southwest Detroit, urged residents to get involved.

Several residents, some afraid, started compiling log sheets in a process that lasted about two years. From the reports came a clear picture of the players in Dr. Pill’s empire — runners, buyers, even people who would provide transportation to the neighborhood.

Dr. Pill going to prison and being off the streets is a victory. And the teamwork that made it possible is what sets southwest Detroit apart.

“There’s strong community groups. Strong business groups. Close contact with law enforcement, and folks that are willing to speak up,” he said. Esteban Castro agrees, but also sees a community with no choice. Folks had to speak up, he said, to save homes they can’t always leave, and to preserve their way of life.