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Division Chief J. Michael Stiers, Aurora (CO) Police Department - The entire
force was trained in Community Policing by the staff from the MSU National
Center for Community Policing in 1987 and 1988. One of the first anti-drug
efforts was HICOP (High Intensity Community-Oriented Policing), which took
a portion of the city and instituted a zero-tolerance approach. Using problem-oriented
strategies, the officers asked the citizens what their biggest problems
were and addressed those concerns - crack was, as anticipated, the number
one problem. The department interrupted traffic flow in problem areas by
having the patrol officers do their routine paperwork in front of crack
houses, and they maintained their impact further by issuing code violations
on the properties.
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In the Macon-Moline Project, the police initially held a series of meetings
with apartment-house owners and managers to see if they could work together
on the problem of drug dealers in rental units. The landlords initially
feared losing their rent if they participated, but they were eventually
convinced that it was more important to hang onto good tenants.
The Macon-Moline Project formed cleanup committees. Managers were instructed
on how to screen applicants to keep drugs out of the apartment. These efforts
soon expanded to other concerns. "Once energies and forces get together
to take care of one problem, they end up taking care of other problems
as well," says Stiers.
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Assistant Chief David Sinclair, Lansing (MI) Police Department - Crack
first appeared in Lansing in 1987, and the department's initial response
was to create REACH (Regional Enforcement Against Crack Houses). This effort
aimed to maintain a strong street-level presence in drug-infested areas
by stationing officers there 16 hours each day. The department also achieved
success against open dealing and prostitution by using barricades on problem
streets.
Lansing recently placed Community Officers into specific problem neighborhoods
where they had begun to see street-level dealing. Initial reports look
promising, and they hope to report on the full impact soon.
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Deputy Chief David Dusenbury, Long Beach (CA) Police Department - This
department employs a force of trained DRE officers (Drug Recognition Experts)
who are able to detect if a suspect is under the influence of drugs, and,
if so, what kinds of drugs he or she has probably ingested. DRE's reportedly
have a 97% accuracy rate. Dusenbury looks forward to using DRE's in combination
with Community Policing to combat the drug problem in Long Beach.
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Chief Larry Joiner, Kansas City (MO) Police Department - The county has
instituted an anti-drug sales tax. On every $100, twenty-five cents goes
to fight drugs in Jefferson County, and it is estimated that the tax will
bring in $14 million annually. Half the money, or at least $7 million,
whichever is greater, goes to treatment, prevention, and rehabilitation
programs, while the remainder will fund extra officers and prosecutors.
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Assistant Chief Sam Gonzales, Dallas (TX) Police Department - Operation
CLEAN (Commitment of Law Enforcement Against Narcotics) targets six to
eight blocks of the city at a time. Undercover operations identify the
drug houses first, then sweeps are made with a squad of 100 uniformed officers.
After the drug raids, they institute their follow-up component, which provides
a police presence that tapers off over a 6-week period. To ensure long-term
results, a foot patrol officer remains on permanent assignment. Coordinating
city services is also part of the effort to clean up the neighborhoods.
