SCHOOL OFFERS HANDS ON 'STREET' TRAINING FOR OFFICERS

In the late-'80s police officers throughout the state were being assigned
to drug enforcement duties within their departments. Most of them had only
the training they received at the Massachusetts Police Academy when they
first took the pledge of duty.

In the early-'90s, two officers saw a need for hands-on street training and
took on the charge. Wellesley Police Department Deputy Chief Billy Brooks
and now-retired Massachusetts State Police Lt. Paul Stone implemented a
program to train new narcotics detectives and other officers being assigned
to drug enforcement duties.

"Drug enforcement is an entirely different aspect of police work which
requires a completely different type of training," said Brooks.

From learning the Massachusetts drug statutes to understanding the
dynamics of managing a potential confidential informant, drug enforcement
involves complicated and defined techniques.

Brooks and Stone ran 11 sessions of the school during the '90s. Lexington
Police Detective Robert Mercer and Waltham Police Lt. Colin Murphy, who met
at the school in 1996, noticed a need to bring the school back over the
past few years.

"We were hearing that neighboring departments were having growing pains and
making some of the same mistakes we have seen," said Mercer.

Together, the two officers, after checking in with Brooks, revived the
school last year. Brooks, a highly recognized drug enforcement officer and
the commander of NORPAC (Norfolk County Police Anti-Crime Unit), is now an
instructor with the school.

"There has been such a demand for it that we have done five classes in
about a year," said Mercer.

There is no fee for attendees because the school is funded by the Municipal
Police Training organization. Attendees include urban, suburban and state
police officers.

"Regardless of where you are, there is always a need for drug enforcement,"
said Mercer.

He said drug problems have been on-going throughout the state since the
late-'80s.

"There has been no change in the drug trend," said Mercer.

The school, he said, gives officers all the training they need to go out
and conduct their own drug investigations, which require more focused
training than other investigations. For example, he said dealing with
informants, who often are reluctant and don't easily divulge necessary
information, can be a difficult challenge.

"The tactics we use need to be somewhat specialized," said Mercer.

Also, conducting surveillance on drug investigations, he said, is unlike
any other investigative work performed by patrol officers. Techniques
regarding drugs, said Mercer, have to be perfected regardless of what kind
or level of illegal substance officers are dealing with. "What you do on a
$40 marijuana buy requires the same techniques necessary as on a large
scale buy of crack," said Mercer.

The ultimate goal and the clear educational point of the school is for drug
enforcement officers to learn how to correctly execute a search warrant.

"If you can't write a proper search warrant, all of your efforts
.everything will be thrown out in court," said Mercer.

Making the arrests is one thing, said Mercer, but getting the convictions
in court is what really makes the difference in fighting the drug problem.
When departments are successfully achieving convictions in court, the word
travels quickly, he said.

"The word will get out that they really know what they are doing in
Stoughton," said Mercer.

Additionally, the detective said any convictions in Stoughton will most
likely benefit surrounding towns. With the mobility of drugs, he said, one
supplier is probably dealing in many neighboring towns.

"When you take that one drug dealer out in Stoughton, chances are you are
affecting many other dealers that you didn't even know existed," said Mercer.

And the fact that most towns are working together is a big benefit to
fighting the drug problem as well. In Norfolk County, officers from each
town have been trained through NORPAC (Norfolk County Police Anti Crime).
To date, five Stoughton Police officers have been trained. Last year Canton
Police Detective Eric Wade went through the training.

Now when faced with large drug investigations, police departments, through
NORPAC, can call in other departments and have six to eight trained
narcotics officers to execute the raid more safely, he said. Towns in the
NORPAC system include Canton, Stoughton, Sharon, Dedham, Norwood, Medfield,
Plainville, Westwood, Wellesley, Foxboro, Needham, Norfolk, Wrentham,
Walpole and Franklin.