1998 Annual Report

Drugs

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.

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 known 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.

The Cambridge Police Department's Special Investigations Unit continually initiates investigations involving drug 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 suppliers, and to fight the problem at its root level: in the street, where the public is most exposed and affected.

In 1998, the Special Investigations Unit pursued this goal through the following enforcement operations:

A spring and summer "crack down" that resulted in 18 undercover buys, many in school zones, 32 arrest warrants, 19 arrests, 24 felony warrants cleared.

The arrests of seven dealers on the streets of Area 4 during a targeted investigation in November and December at Bishop Allen Drive and Norfolk Street.

A major operation at the YMCA between July and September. Undercover buys led to the arrest of two cocaine dealers and a heroin dealer.

Over the past few years, narcotics investigators have become concerned about a new influx of heroin into the city. The Special Investigations Unit targeted this new threat in 1998. The result: 24 arrests for the possession or sale of heroin in 1998 (compared to 15 in 1997 and 12 in 1996)-14 of them in the last four months of the year. Among the successes in this venture:

Harvard Square heroin activity targeted in September led to the identification of suppliers and middlemen. Four middlemen and a major dealer for the square were arrested on the same day; 91 bags of heroin were seized.

A major dealer from Beverly was arrested in October after several undercover buys; 300 bags of heroin were seized.

Two dealers from Lynn were arrested with 835 bags of heroin and $865 cash as they were delivering in Cambridge. Lynn is a well known "source city" for narcotics.

A street dealer arrested in Central Square in June led to the arrest of a mid-level supplier from Cambridge. 734 bags of heroin were seized. From the mid-level supplier, the Special Investigations Unit worked their way up to a major supplier, arresting him and seizing another 500 bags. This effectively ended a pipeline of heroin into the Central Square area.

Drug Arrest Scenarios

There are several means by which a drug arrest develops. Eight different scenarios played a role in drug arrests during 1998:

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: 72 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: 19 cases

A motor vehicle stop becomes a drug arrest when the officer notices narcotics in the car: 21 cases

A police officer witnesses suspicious activity on the street, conducts an inquiry resulting in a drug arrest: 25 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: 11 cases

A Cambridge school official seeks a complaint based on evidence found in a school locker or on a student: 4 cases

Someone tries to pass a forged prescription at a pharmacy: 2 case

An individual entering a courthouse is found by the court officers to have narcotics in his or her possession: 6 cases.

Categorical Breakdown of Drug Arrests

Back to the 1998 Annual Report Index