Press Release Archives - 338-96 - New Drug Enforcement Initiative

Archives of the Mayor's Press Office

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Date: July 17,1996

Release #338-96

Contact: Colleen Roche (212) 788-2958 or Marilyn Mode (212) 374-6700

MAYOR GIULIANI AND POLICE COMMISSIONER SAFIR ANNOUNCE THE CITY'S NEW DRUG ENFORCEMENT INITIATIVE

Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani, joined by Police Commissioner Howard Safir and representatives of several federal law enforcement agencies, announced today a multi-local-and-federal-agency narcotics enforcement initiative to combat drug trafficking in the Washington Heights area of Upper Manhattan. The initiative will include strategic street-level law enforcement tactics done in coordination with Federal law enforcement agencies to dismantle drug trafficking operations both on the street and at the source.

The Washington Heights section of Manhattan is a leading marketplace and gateway for narcotics -- particularly heroin and cocaine. Illegal drugs arriving in New York City are distributed throughout the City and regularly shipped to other parts of New York State as well as numerous other cities and regions in the United States. New York City's position as this nation's narcotics marketplace and gateway is a result of not only a large consumer demand in the City for illegal drugs, but also the accessible availability of maritime, air and "over the road" transportation within the immediate metropolitan area -- thus, facilitating both the importation from overseas and the distribution nationwide. Additionally, as a result of its vast array of banking facilities and other financial institutions, New York City is paramount in the laundering of the proceeds from narcotics transactions. New York's financial institutions are used to launder narcotics monies overseas by both New York metropolitan area traffickers as well as traffickers nationwide.

Statistics relating to the impact of drugs in the New York metropolitan area speak loudly:

A 1995 study of persons arrested for robbery in Manhattan found 90% tested positive for cocaine.
The Washington Heights section of Manhattan has become the "drug marketplace" of the Northeastern United States.
There are approximately 36,000 NYPD and federal fugitives in the New York metropolitan area -- approximately 50% of which are wanted for narcotics related offenses.
There are thousands of deportable criminal aliens in the New York metropolitan area who are NOT in custody solely because of a lack of INS detention capabilities. The vast majority of these criminal aliens -- many of whom have been convicted of drug related crimes -- fail to appear for their deportation hearings.
13,000 firearms were recovered by the NYPD during 1995 -- 65% were traced to drug related crimes.
Drug traffickers launder more than $100 billion through the New York metropolitan area each year.
Substance abuse and drug addiction cost New York City more than $20 billion every year.

STRATEGY

The Washington Heights initiative will include the following comprehensive and coordinated strategies in conjunction with the New York City Police Department, the United States Attorney's Office in the Southern District, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Immigration and Naturalization Service, the United States Marshals Service for the Southern District, the Customs Bureau, the Secret Service, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco. Firearms, the Internal Revenue Service:

Establish a Unified Drug Enforcement Coordination System (UDECS) -- a central database to register all drug enforcement investigations and critical law enforcement operations.
Create a city-wide Local/Federal Fugitive task Force to identify and target criminals with outstanding warrants for serious narcotics violations and violent crimes.
Establish a Violent Drug Gang Committee to identify and target the most violent drug gangs.
Enhance INS capabilities to ensure the detention and deportation of convicted criminal aliens.
Trace all firearms recovered/seized through ATF.

For the first time a true Federal and local commitment will attack and eliminate the drug organizations that control not only Washington Heights, but other areas throughout the City.