CAMBRIDGE POLICE DEPARTMENT

1997 Annual Crime Report

NARCOTICS

Narcotics includes all incidents in which the police made an arrest, complaint, or warrant for the possession or distribution of illegal narcotics. Narcotics statistics do not include all instances of narcotics use or distribution; they only reflect those cases that are known to the police.

The Cambridge Police Department's Special Investigations Unit is continually initiating investigations involving drugs and vice activity within the City of Cambridge. They have adopted strategic planning methods to help alleviate the pressures bestowed upon society by the culture of drug abuse and addiction. The goal of the unit is to target street level dealers to get to the suppliers, and to fight the problem at its root level: in the street, where the public is most exposed and affected.

Concerns of residents in Area 4 and Riverside dominated the drug scene in 1997. Multiple reports of outdoor drug dealing along Washington Street in Area 4 and Western Avenue and River Street in Riverside led to greatly increased police patrol in theses areas, including targeted (and ongoing) investigations by the Special Investigations Unit. Area 4's total drug arrests remained high, and arrests in Riverside increased two-fold.

Geographic Breakdown of Drug Arrests

When evaluating statistics for drug arrests, it is important to keep in mind that the numbers reflect only arrests or complaints, and do not include all incidents of drug use in a particular area. It is relatively impossible to discern how many times an individual uses or possesses narcotics during any given time period. The Cambridge Police Department can only report incidents that are know to the police-incidents in which a Cambridge police officer makes an arrest. Therefore, an increase in the number of drug arrests in a particular area should not necessarily be viewed negatively.

Drug Arrest Scenarios

There are several means by which a drug arrest develops. Eight different scenarios played a role in drug arrests during 1997:

The Cambridge Police Special Investigations Unit initiates an investigation, resulting in an arrest, based on information from an informant or from the observations of Unit members: 73 cases

An arrest for another crime, such as disorderly conduct, becomes a drug arrest when the arresting or booking officer finds narcotics on the arrested person: 27 cases (since this scenario sometimes occurs at the Cambridge Police station itself, it can inflate the statistic for Riverside, the neighborhood in which the Cambridge Police Department lies, by about five reports a year)

A motor vehicle stop becomes a drug arrest when the officer notices narcotics in the car: 22 cases

A police officer witnesses suspicious activity on the street, conducts an inquiry resulting in a drug arrest: 21 cases

A citizen witnesses a person or persons using drugs and complains to the police; police are able to verify the claim through their own observation: 12 cases

A Cambridge school official seeks a complaint based on evidence found in a school locker or on a student: 10 cases

Someone tries to pass a forged prescription at a pharmacy: 6 case

An individual entering a courthouse is found by the court officers to have narcotics in his or her possession: 4 cases.

 

Categorical Breakdown of Drug Arrests

Drug Tip Hotline

The Special Investigations Unit employs an anonymous Drug Tip Hotline to gain intelligence information from the community. The Unit can be reached by calling 349-3359. Generally, you will be greeted by a taped message instructing you to leave very detailed information. Vital information will include location of incident, any vehicle description, and a description of the person(s) involved. You do not have to provide any personal information and all information is held in the strictest of confidence.

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