1999 Annual Report

Narcotics

Narcotics incidents include all incidents in which the police completed an arrest, complaint, or warrant for the possession, manufacture, distribution, or trafficking 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.

Drug Arrests are up 29%, from 160 in 1998 to 207 in 1999

The Cambridge Police Department’s Special Investigations Unit 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.

When evaluating statistics for drug arrests, it is important to keep in mind that the numbers reflect only incidents that result in an arrest or complaint, 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.

There were 207 drug incidents reported to the police in 1999. Eight resulted in complaints being sought, and at least 266 arrests were made (more than one person may be arrested for any one “incident”). The Special Investigations Unit (SIU) made a large percentage of the drug arrests this year. Of the 67 SIU cases that resulted in reports, they were responsible for 97 (or 36%) of the arrests.

Categorical Breakdown of Narcotics Incidents

Cocaine—both crack and the powdered variety—is the most commonly sold drug in Cambridge, if arrests are any indication. For simple possession, however, marijuana leads the list with cocaine following in a distant second. Among the designer and prescriptions drugs being illegally used in Cambridge  are Ketamine, Methadone, Morphine, Valium, Percoset, and Zoloft.

As in past years, the Central Square neighborhoods—Cambridgeport, Area 4, Mid-Cambridge and Riverside—lead the totals for drug arrests. Area 4 and Cambridgeport showed even higher totals than usual in 1999 because of the SIU’s special investigation efforts.

Geographic Breakdown of Narcotics Incidents

Top Drug Arrest Hot Spots in 1999

1.       Massachusetts Avenue in Central Square—South Side (Cambridgeport): 10 incidents

2.       Massachusetts Avenue in Central Square—North Side (Area 4): 8 incidents

3.       Pine Street (Area 4): 8 incidents

4.       Columbia Street between Mass. Ave. & Harvard St. (Area 4): 8 incidents

5.       Columbia Park (Area 4): 6 incidents

6.       Bishop Allen Drive (Area 4): 5 incidents

7.       Albany Street (Cambridgeport): 5 incidents

8.       YMCA, 820 Mass. Ave. (Riverside): 4 incidents

9.    Cambridge Common (Peabody): 4 incidents

Back to the 1999 Annual Report Index

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Last Updated: 04/11/00 11:31:24