DRUGS STILL PROBLEM IN CITY

NEW BRITAIN -- A drop in heroin street prices over the last two years could
be the result of an increased flow of hard drugs entering New Britain from
the major drug centers of New York and Boston.

The New Britain Narcotics Enforcement Bureau has watched the price of
heroin and cocaine become significantly cheaper over the last two to three
years.

According to the Office of National Drug Control Policy, the transportation
and distribution of heroin, cocaine and crack cocaine into New England is
being accomplished by Colombian and Dominican criminal groups primarily
from New York.

Capt. Michael Sullivan of the NEB said the price of heroin and cocaine has
remained constant over the last three years due to the supply in the area.

"Heroin has gotten cheaper, that's for sure, but cocaine has also gotten
cheaper," Sullivan said.

Sullivan said the going street price for a tenth of a gram of heroin is $10
and has remained constant, falling from a $20 to $30 price range over the
last decade.

Sullivan also said when working with the New York Police Department's
Narcotics Division during investigations starting in New Britain, the trail
almost always leads back to New York City.

"No matter what we find during investigations, we always have to go
somewhere else," Sullivan said.

"When trying to get information you start tracing it backwards like we do
and it always leads back to Hartford, New York or Boston."

All NEB officers are trained with drug investigation and surveillance
methods through the Police Officer Standards and Training Council before
starting work with the narcotics department.

According to New Britain Chief of Police William Sencio, the trend in gang
violence connected with drugs has decreased but the major concern is still
getting the larger dealers in the community.

"The trend I see is a definite decrease in gang violence that is attached
to the larger drug dealers and our primary concern is still heroin and
cocaine," Sencio said.

Sencio also said that the sale of marijuana is making a comeback with drug
dealers because its perception is that it is not a hard drug and that it's
easy money for easy time.

"Marijuana is making a comeback because the perception is it is not a hard
drug and the expectation that it doesn't carry the same sentence for the
type of offense," Sencio said.

"Also the perception is you can make a lot of money on marijuana without
the time that goes with a heroin offense."

The New Britain Police Department made 267 arrests for marijuana compared
to 242 arrests for heroin, cocaine and crack cocaine from April 2001 to
April 2002.

According to the Drug Abuse Warning Network, a drug abuse data collection
system, the northeastern United States has one of the highest heroin
treatment admission rates in the country.

DAWN also reported that there is a tendency to inhale heroin now rather
than inject it and the current heroin purity levels are strong and high in
the capital area.