Stemming the Drug Flow on 28 Street South By St. Petersburg

03-42

Stemming the Drug Flow on 28 Street South

St. Petersburg Police Department Project Respect

A Problem Oriented Policing Project Submitted to

Police Executive Research Forum 2003

Herman Goldstein Award

Police Executive Research Forum

1120 Connecticut Avenue, NW, Suite 930

Washington, DC 20036

Table of Contents

Title Page 1

Table of Contents 2

Summary 3

Description 5

Scanning 5

Analysis 7

Response 9

Assessment

Agency and Officer Information 13

Graph 14

Summary

This Problem Oriented Policing Project was conducted at 201 - 28 Street South,

St. Petersburg, Florida. The problem at this property was rampant narcotic sales. The drug of choice

was "crack" cocaine. Marijuana was being abused by property residents and drug dealers but there

was no indication that marijuana was being sold. The drug buyers were pedestrians walking up to

the property and people driving up to the property then driving out of the area. The drug sales at this

property also led to other types of crimes such as burglaries and thefts, being conducted in the

immediate neighborhood and the surrounding neighborhoods. We realized there was a problem at

this property when we started getting complaints from neighbors and from other police officers and

detectives. We used visual observations to confirm that narcotic dealing was going on from the

property. Some of the responses used to address the problem included surveillance, undercover

narcotic drug buys using detectives from our agency as well as another local police agency. The

problem was worked from October 2001 until a search warrant was executed on the property by

detectives from the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office and ourselves. The search warrant was executed

on December

2002, approximately 14 months after we became aware of the narcotics activity.

A drug dealer was arrested because of this search warrant and the other drug dealers who lived on

and frequented the property moved away. This combination of events eliminated the narcotic dealing

on this property. Only one person continues to live in the building and no drug sales are occurring

at this property now.

This Problem Oriented Policing Project shows problems can be eliminated using the SARA

Method of Problem Solving of:

SCANNING

ANALYSIS

RESPONSE

ASSESSMENT

This method was used with great success. It brought our unit together with community members,

other members of the police department, workers with other police agencies and workers with other

departments within the City of St. Petersburg. The quality of life for the residents in the immediate

area has been improved.

Description

A. Scanning:

The Street Narcotics Unit first identified the nature of the problem. Patrol Units were

being dispatched to constant narcotics drug law violation calls at and in the immediate area of

201-28 Street South. The Unit also observed "open air" drug sales at the location involving

large groups of subjects. Calls for police service increased in the area and three drug related

homicides occurred along with other shootings.

The problem was identified by using the Police Department's Computer Aided Dispatch

System. Street Narcotics Officers reviewed the calls for service to see the time of day that narcotic

calls were being dispatched. Officers also monitored the area and viewed open drug sales.

Community Police Officers also monitored the area and attended neighborhood meetings,

specifically the Palmetto Park Neighborhood Association. Neighbors complained at these meetings

about the open air drug sales and the negative effect on the entire neighborhood. Patrol Officers sent

police reports to Street Narcotic Officers informing them of the open drug sales. The Vice and

Narcotics Section had also viewed drug activity on the property.

The Street Narcotics Unit attended a meeting with upper staff personnel of the Police

Department. The staff requested that the Unit choose a location that would be identified as one of

the worst open air drug sales areas in the city. After reviewing calls for service, drug tips, and

complaints from Patrol Officers, 201-28 Street was chosen as a special drug project. The Unit

diagnosed the problem by using the police informational computer to analyze the offender group and

calls for service. Calls for service were checked for the surrounding neighborhood and increased

calls for service were noticed. It was found that the dealers were teenagers who had prior criminal

histories. The main dealer was identified as living in an apartment on the property. Confidential

informants identified the dealer as running the drug sales.

The crime type identified were sales of cocaine and marijuana. Violent crimes were

occurring in close proximity to the property which included homicide and shooting into occupied

dwellings. Burglary detectives contacted Street Narcotics in reference to burglaries near the drug

sales location. Drug dealers on the property were identified as suspects in at least one Home

Invasion Robbery as well as other burglaries.

B. Analysis.

Many sources were used to analyze the problem. All of the computer systems within the

Department were used to identify the problem. The police information computer was used to

identify all subjects involved and research their criminal records. The Computer Aided

Dispatch computer system was used to track calls for service at the location and the surrounding

neighborhood. The Street Narcotics Unit interviewed neighbors to ascertain the time and

frequency of drug sales. The Unit employed the use of

Americorps

personnel, people who volunteer

their time to pay for their college education, to hand out flyers requesting assistance from

neighborhood residents. The flyers explained that the Police Department was working on the

problem of open air drug sales and their assistance was needed. The drug tip line, 892-5000, was

on the flyer along with the phone number for the Street Narcotics office. The Unit also conducted

surveillance of the property in an undercover capacity. Heavy drug sales were viewed throughout

the entire day. Drug sales started in the late morning and continued until late into the night. The

history of drug sales for this location is long standing. The Unit reviewed calls for service from

January 1

, 2000 to December

2002. Three hundred four dispatched calls for service concerning

Narcotic violations were noted. Younger black males were the drug sellers and the drug dealer was

identified as an adult black male with a criminal history. The motivation for selling these drugs was

money.

The location was advantageous for drug sales because it was on a main roadway which

allowed drug sellers high visibility and the ability to flag down vehicles. The poor lighting allowed

for the sellers to hide their drugs and to sell the drugs without the police observing most of their

activity. The victims identified would be the neighbors who suffered losses in burglaries and other

crime and who were afraid to walk around their neighborhood after dark because of the large group

of young males loitering at the drug location. The suspects in the burglaries and other crimes were

drug sellers from the location and addicted drug users who walked to, and lived in the immediate

area. The significant harm in the area would be the homicides which were drug related. This

problem was being addressed before the project was initiated. Patrol Officers were receiving drug

calls at the location and were making some arrests. The Community Police Officers were also

monitoring the property and were making some arrests. Their actions were not completely solving

the problem. The main dealer who was running the location would just bring in additional drug

sellers who were not concerned about being arrested and open air drug sales continued.

The analysis completed by the Street Narcotics Unit revealed that numerous conditions

precipitated the problem. The narcotic calls for service were high, poor lighting and a great location

for drug sales made the problem worse. In review of the calls for service, it was determined that

surveillance was also needed to view the problem. The Unit observed that the drug sales started in

the early afternoon and continued until about 1:00 A.M.. The problem affected the entire

neighborhood. The unit noticed that sellers were riding bikes and selling drugs blocks away from

the location. Surveillance revealed that the location was related to another drug sales area

approximately three blocks to the east. Open discussion about the problem occurred in the

neighborhood when Community Police Officers attended neighborhood meetings. Community

Police Officers then shared this information with the Street Narcotics Unit. The Street Narcotics

Sergeant also spoke with numerous neighbors while on patrol.

C. Response:

There were several response alternatives considered to deal with the drug sales problem. The

surveillance of the property and the arrest of drug buyers and sellers. The use of high profile patrol

by Patrol personnel, Community Police Officers and the Street Narcotics Unit. The use of the Vice

and Narcotics Detectives for undercover street buys. The Street Narcotics Unit took the lead in the

project and coordinated weekly drug operations at the location. Drug sales were monitored in an

undercover vehicle. Drug buyers were stopped after purchasing drugs and arrested. This allowed

for high-profile police presence in the area and also gave the Street Narcotics Unit intelligence

information on the drug dealers. The Street Narcotics Unit also asked for assistance from the Vice

and Narcotics Unit from the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office and from the St. Petersburg Police

Department. Undercover detectives purchased cocaine from dealers on the property. The subjects

were identified and later arrested.

The arrest of drug dealers on the property allowed the Legal Section of the Police Department

to get involved with the Nuisance Abatement process. The Nuisance Abatement process was started

in mid-February 2002 by the city of St. Petersburg in accordance with Florida State Statutes. The

purpose of the abatement process is to give a city the ability to address nuisance properties. In this

particular case, the nuisance was the selling of illegal drugs. To fulfill the guidelines of the nuisance

process, two drug purchases from the property are required. In this case, that threshold was met.

The Nuisance Abatement Hearing was conducted on April

2002. The property was found in

violation and assessed a Fine of $1,416.62 and Court Costs of $1,750.00. It should be noted that

Community Police Officers had attempted to work with the owners of the property in reference to

the open drug sales. The lighting issues were discussed along with the drug dealer living on the

property. The owners did attempt to correct the lighting problem but did not put up high-intensity

lightning as suggested. They refused to evict the drug dealer that was running the drug sales

location. Another response used to address the problem was the use of Americorps personnel to

hand out flyers to neighbors which explained the Police Department's effort in working the drug

sales at the location and giving them phone numbers to contact. Neighbors now knew that we were

working the drug problem and they now had numbers to call at the Police Department for assistance.

The Fire Department was used to assist with fire code inspections and violations. The Street

Narcotics Unit responded with Fire Department Inspectors who inspected the property for violations.

City Code Inspectors were taken to the property to review code violations. Numerous code

violations were found resulting in several thousand dollars in fines. The Street Narcotics Unit

worked closely with the Legal Section when dealing with the Nuisance Abatement process. The cost

of the project came from federal "block grant" dollars that had been applied. The practicality of the

project

had

been discussed in meetings with staff who were updated by the Street Narcotics Sergeant.

The goal of the Street Narcotics Unit was to stop drug sales at the location which would reduce calls

for service in the area for patrol units. The goal also was to stop the violence in the area that was

directly related to drug sales. There were difficulties that were involved in the response phase.

Property owners would not cooperate with police. They would not evict the main drug dealer who

resided on the property and they did not install proper lighting that would have discouraged drug

sales. They did not properly monitor their property and issue trespass warnings when needed. Drug

dealers monitored police radio transmissions with police scanners which allowed for them to hear

calls for service being dispatched. The dealers also monitored the Street Narcotics Unit as the Unit

conducted surveillance. Usually the Street Narcotics Unit was able to spend some quality time doing

surveillance of the property before the dealers observed us.

D. Assessment:

Street Narcotics Officers were assigned to assess the results of the operation. After a search

warrant was served at the main drug dealers apartment, all drug sales on and from this property

ceased. The main drug dealer was not present when the warrant was executed and presently has

outstanding warrants for his arrest. All the other drug dealers that were living on the property moved

out. The other drug dealers that just hung out on the property never returned after the dealers that

lived there moved out.

Calls for service were checked in the Computer Aided Dispatch computer from December

, 2002 (day after search warrant was served) until March 1

, 2003. Only 23 narcotic sales calls

were received for the area; none at 201 - 28 Street South. It should be noted that from January 1

2000 to December 6*, 2002, there were 304 narcotic sales calls for service. The impact of the drug

operation has reduced calls for service and has ended the drug sales problem in the neighborhood.

The Street Narcotics Unit kept track of the project weekly and the program was evaluated by upper

staff members. Residents of the neighborhood expressed their satisfaction with the elimination of

this drug activity in community meetings.

There were problems in implementing the project. Staffing was always an issue. Gaining

assistance from all Units in the Police Department difficult when all specialized units have additional

projects to work on. All response goals in this project have been accomplished. All drug sales have

stopped on the property and the neighborhood drug sales have been reduced. Patrol calls for service

related to drug violations have decreased dramatically. The property is currently in foreclosure and

is for sale. The drug dealer has moved from the location and has pending drug charges. Nuisance

Abatement has fined the property owners who now just want to sell the property.

The results of the project were measured by viewing the reduction of calls for service in the

area. The Street Narcotics Sergeant was assigned to coordinate the project. There was a concern of

displacement in this project. The areas surrounding the project have been monitored by the

Community Police Officer and the Street Narcotics Unit. This area will not require continued

maintenance as there only one apartment occupied and no drug sales are occurring.

Agency and Officer Information:

The problem solving issue was originally adopted as a result of the Chief of Police requesting

drug projects to be assigned to the Street Narcotics Unit. The Community Policing Section

was to assist in the project. Project days were scheduled and both Units worked together on the

project. A Street Narcotics Officer was assigned to manage the project and he reported directly

to the Street Narcotics Sgt. The Street Narcotics Sergeant and most of the personnel involved

in the project have Community Based Policing training. The officers did have incentives in this

project. Overtime was granted when working weekly drug project. Federal Grant monies were

used for drug interdiction at the location.

Project Contact Person:

Randy Morton

Sergeant

1300 1 Avenue North

St. Petersburg,

33705

Phone: 727-893-7264

Fax: 727-892-5099

Email: [email protected]g

Graph:

Table 1: Narcotic Drug Law Violation Calls In Area: Reduction and Average Calls Per Month

Before and After Project:

Narcotic Drug Law Calls

01/01/2000-12/06/2002

12/07/2002-03/01/2003

304

(14

Per Month Avg)

23 ( 7 Per Month Avg)