Operation Pressure Point.The Drug Trade Problem - Essay Example

Introduction New York is the world's leading financial district as it is home to many financial s that conduct business worldwide. Behind this elegant faade, however, is the proliferation of another kind of business, one which hounds the police and society in general. The drug trade is very much alive in the streets of New York. According to the Drug Enforcement Agency, NYC is home to numerous drug trafficking organizations which cater to the diverse population and "source for organizations that smuggle drugs to other East Coast destinations and to Canada and Europe". (DEA, 2007) Fantino (2000), a former Chief of Police, states that the role of the policemen is to ensure the safety and security of the members of society against those who may wish it harm. The proliferation of drugs is certainly a threat to society and should be addressed in the soonest possible time. However, even with the many programs instituted by police agencies, the problem still lingers. Zimmer (1987) and the Vera Institute of Justice (1993) relate to us two police strategies that are conceptually effective but are actually insufficient. Operation Pressure Point In the 1980's, the drug problem in the East Side was getting rampant to the point that sales and usage of the illegal substances were blatantly exposed on the streets. The Lower East Side became the proverbial drug addict's heaven as he had unlimited access to drugs with little or no threat of arrest. This state of affairs was the result of the declining capacity of the police to counter the problem due to budget cuts and decline in personnel (Smith, 1982). To counter the problem and to address the increasing community pressure, the Police Department launched Operation Pressure Point which involved the assignment of about 250 officers who conducted buy-bust operations, patrolling, boarding up of abandoned buildings and fencing of parks and vacant lots. Community involvement and improvements and prioritization of drug related complaints were also employed. According to the information gathered by Zimmer (1987), the operation succeeded in halting the blatant drug supermarket and was able to reduce the volume of drugs traded in the area. Nonetheless, Zimmer (1987) argues that the success of the operation was limited as the achievements were only superficial. Underneath the seeming improved situation lies still the drug problem as the trade still continues. To counter the increased police presence, drug dealers employed more lookouts, varied the time and venue of sales, sold in large quantities and made deals only with established clients. The result was that the availability levels were like before. In one of his later papers, Zimmer (1993) points out that the rationale behind the operation was the 'mass-arrest strategy' where the police believe that a major sweep of a drug-infested area could lead to the arrest of many drug dealers. This would ensure that the drug problem would be eliminated in that area. However, Zimmer (1993) argues that even though such strategy "destabilizes the market"; it also "creates opportunity for new people to come into the business". Replacements are not a problem especially in poor communities where "there is no shortage of people who are looking for this opportunity". Reading Zimmer (1987) reveals to us the complex problem of addressing the drug trade problem and breaks our notion that mass arrests could lead to the elimination of this threat. I find Operation Pressure Point praiseworthy because the methods were based on a range of consistent, integrated and comprehensive approaches appropriate to local problems but I also find it lacking in the sense that it was unable to realize that weeds should be pulled at its roots and not only at its stalk. From my point of view, the operation achieved only little because it did not provide for any methods to identify the main suppliers but instead focus on the low end dealers. Instead of focusing only the consumer side, they should also have broken the supply chain right from the producer itself. One could also argue that arresting the local dealers is the best way to catch the main suppliers and that catching the main suppliers would require collaboration with national agencies. There is truth behind this claims but one should also remember that the drug trade is widespread and even crosses national boundaries. There is a need to implement a coordinated effort along with the usual arrests and raids. This coordinated effort offers more chances of success in catching the main suppliers. Only thru a program that involves local and national action could the trade be effectively stymied. Tactical Narcotics Team (TNT) The work of Zimmer (1987) pointed out that increased police visibility and activity were not an assurance that the drug trade will be eliminated. Transactions will only be more concealed but the availability levels and usage will still be at the same level as before. In its ethnographic survey, the Vera Institute of Justice points out Tactical Narcotics Teams or the group which raids known drug layers (and not patrol) are also ineffective in preventing the drug trade. It was observed that drug sellers also employed an increased number of lookouts, zoomers, steerers and increased indoor activity thereby negating the police effort. TNT was expected to result to the relocation of drug activity to adjacent neighbourhoods where conditions are more favourable. This was in relation to the observations of Curtis (1992) when they noted that Brooklyn North's TNT displaced drug traffic from the streets of the 83rd Precinct (Bushwick) to the 90th Precinct (Williamsburg). When TNT was deployed in Williamsburg, drug activity returned to Bushwick. The Vera survey was unable to observe such a phenomenon and attributes it to the existence of freelance and mobile crack dealers and the absence of a more suitable adjacent neighbourhood. Furthermore, the Vera survey indicated that drug dealers are more afraid in having police 24/7 in their area rather than TNTs. There are two important realizations regarding the result of the Vera survey. First is that TNT does not guarantee that the drug trade will be weakened while the second is that there seems to be no full proof local solution to the problem. Although drug usage patterns begun to change, there was "nothing to suggest that TNT made it harder to find drugs or increased their search time". The slump in reported cases involving cocaine were not even the result of TNTs but the work of "national and international market forces". Concluding Remarks The works of Zimmer (1987), Curtis (1992) and the Vera Institute of Justice (1993) tells us one important idea - that prevention and halting of the drug trade is complex especially when taken in the local level alone. Mass arrest and increased police visibility can have immediate effects but they are superficial as the drug trade continues behind closed doors. Tactical raids and arrests are also ineffective in light of early warning mechanisms and more ingenious ways of concealing drugs. However, it should also be important to realize that although these strategies seem not to be working, we get an idea of what steps to be taken so as to improve our chances of addressing the drug issue. We must also realize that the responsibility should not be confined to the police alone. The drug trade problem is international in scope and there is also a need to focus more on finding the main suppliers rather than catching downstream users. As such, it becomes necessary to have a wider campaign against the problem involving cooperation between local, national and international agencies. References: Curtis, R.A. (1992). Highly structured crack markets in the Southside of Williamsburg, Brooklyn. In The Ecology of Crime and Drug Use in Inner Cities, edited by J. Fagan. New York, NY: Social Science Research Council. DEA (2007). New York Stats. Retrieved December 2, 2007 from http://www.dea.gov/pubs/states/newyork.html Fantino, Julian (2000). "The Role of Police in Society" in Badovinac, Edward (2001). The Empire Club of Canada Speeches 2000-2001. Toronto: The Empire Club Foundation. Smith, Dennis (1982). "Police" in C. Brecher and R. Houston (eds.). Setting Municipal Priorities (1982). New York: Russel Sage Foundation. Vera Institute of Justice (1992). An Evaluation of TNT. Vera Institute of Justice: New York Zimmer, L. (1987) Operation Pressure Point: The Disruption of Street Level Drug Trade on New York's Lower East Side. New York University School of Law. Zimmer, L. (1993). American Inner-Cities and Drug Policing: Strategies that maximize harm to individuals and communities. Paper presented at Bremen University in June 1993 and at the 4th Conference of the European Cities on Drug Policy, Hamburg Germany, December 1993 Read More