PD SETS DRUG POLICY

NEW BRITAIN -- In response to the heightened concerns of downtown merchants
who have reported escalated drug sales by the intersection of West Main
Street and Main Street in the last several weeks, police have undertaken an
undercover investigation, which, they say, has yielded impressive results.

In a recent interview, Det. Michael Sullivan discussed the department's
ongoing efforts to curtail the drug trade in that area, as well as the city
at large.

"I believe we began receiving complaints in the (West Main and Main Street
areas) two or three weeks ago from merchants and other people, and like all
complaints they were forwarded to the vice squad and we began
investigating," said Sullivan. "As of today (the department) has made seven
arrests there, with several more pending."

Sullivan said the department utilizes undercover tactics, where detectives
dress in street clothes and pose as buyers to make arrests -- a process he
said which requires time and patience to achieve effective results.

"We arrange to have undercover purchases made from them so that we can get
arrest warrants and charge them with those," he said. "Obviously you can't
do that in one day. It takes a little time to make the buys - you need to
identify who's selling there, you target them, get whatever evidence you
need to charge them with, and arrest them.It doesn't happen overnight."

The drug dealers, said Sullivan, likely know each other and move throughout
the city in patterns. He cited the Mt. Pleasant Housing project, Malikowski
Circle, Broad Street, North Street and Oak Street as target areas.

"The dealers are city residents, it's not like one day they decided to move
in downtown," he said. "They'll sell on North Street or Broad Street, we'll
make arrests there, and whoever is left will vacate and move on. That's
just the way the system works."

Addressing the concern of merchants who say there is a lack of uniformed
officers regularly patrolling the area, Sullivan emphasized that more
arrests are made using undercover officers. Indeed, despite two police
units that patrol the area everyday, in full uniform, Sullivan said
undercover officers have made the majority of arrests.

"They'll never see the police there because if a marked cruiser happens to
be driving down the street when the undercover officers are present, the
dealers will not sell to us," said Sullivan. "People will see police when
these people are arrested, which has happened seven times already. And it
going to happen again."

The drug of choice sold in the area is crack cocaine, which Sullivan said
is distributed in small quantities. He added that it is important for
downtown merchants to notify the vice squad to keep them appraised of drug
activity.

"I'm not buying drugs, so the only way we find out is through the citizens
and people in the area calling and notifying us where it's happening," he
said. "We then look into it, target the people, and make the arrests. We
make arrests all over the city - this problem is not limited to one
particular area."

However, Sullivan said the drug dealing by city hall is a new development,
which he said will be resolved quickly.

"It's beyond me why they have set up shop there," said Sullivan. "But we've
already made seven arrests and they won't be there for long. The police are
going to keep making arrests until the drug dealing stops there."

Sullivan requested any merchants or residents aware of ongoing drug
activities call the Narcotics Enforcement Unit at (860) 826-3054.