Pubdate: Wed, 31 Mar 2004 Source: Times-Picayune, The (LA) Copyright: 2004 The Times-Picayune Contact: http://www.nola.com/t-p/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/848 Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/raids.htm (Drug Raids) WORKING DAY AND NIGHT The New Orleans Police Department usually devotes the bulk of its Carnival overtime hours to patrolling crowds along parade routes and keeping revelers in the French Quarter in line -- and most units continued to do so this year. But in an innovative departure from that long-term practice, narcotics Capt. Tim Bayard used his unit's extra hours in some of the city's most violent neighborhoods. In the past, the narcotics unit spent its overtime hours in the French Quarter chasing individual users and their suppliers. But for a three-week period culminating on Fat Tuesday, 30 narcotics officers spent 18 to 22 hours a day working the city's crime hot spots. The results were dramatic. Officers seized 49 guns, 915 grams of crack cocaine, 216 grams of powdered cocaine, 331/2 pounds of marijuana and smaller amounts of heroin, crystal methamphetamine, methadone and Ecstasy. Most significantly, they made 272 arrests, most of them on drug or weapons-related charges, and confiscated $34,525 they believed was associated with the drug trade. Violent crime remains a source of worry for many residents of New Orleans. So, as encouraging as it is to hear that the plain-clothes squads didn't have a single murder take place on their turf during the 22-day blitz, it's disappointing to know that such an offensive isn't still in effect. But it takes extra money to do that. In this case, the department funded its operation with overtime pay and federal grant money. At least now, though, police officials know what works. Capt. Bayard says he hopes to shift the unit's focus to those violent areas full time. At the same time, the department should be able to use its recent successes to apply for grants to fund additional crackdowns. No one stands to gain more from reduction of violent crime than those who live in violent neighborhoods, but the overall feeling of safety that results is a benefit to all residents -- and to our visitors, too. So let's hope the department can find a way to conduct such initiatives more often than once a year. - --- MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom