Not an Urgent Need

Sources within the Police Dept. told thefrontpageonline.com that “there is no pressing need to reactivate the narcotics detail.” “But we really should have one,” said an officer, “so that we don’t end up with a problem. There are other reasons why we should have a narcotics unit. The public doesn’t notice because the problem happens within the department. But there is no real followup to narc cases after the initial arrest. It takes a lot of followup, much more than we are able to do now. Every drug dealer is part of a very large infrastructure. Besides, you can’t just take a felon’s word for his sources.” Obviously, word circulated through the drug community in ’03 when Culver City broke up its specialty unit over a reported clash of personalities. “Once that happens,” another police veteran said, “and dealers know that an area is safe, it becomes a haven. But, that does not seem to have happened here. I guarantee you that drug dealers know where the borders of cities are. For all that is unorthodox about Culver City geographically, dealers know exactly where the lines are.” When evaluating the proliferation and accessibility of popular drugs, the most reliable answer may hinge on who the source of the information is. Another officer said, “Dealers have access in this town to high schoolers and younger children. You don’t need a car to buy dope in Culver City. It is close enough.”