Inglewood : Crackdown on Drug Sales

A Police Department undercover task force is cracking down on proliferating drug sales along city streets.

Just a little more than two weeks into battle, the task force has made as many narcotics arrests as the entire department usually records in a month. Undercover officers hiding in bushes and staking out buildings have arrested more than 130 drug buyers and sellers on the city’s streets and in so-called rock houses where dealers prepare the popular rock cocaine that is smoked instead of snorted up the nostrils.

“Drug sales in this city have gotten absolutely out of hand,” said Lt. James Butts, commanding officer of the Police Department’s narcotics task force. “In some of the neighborhoods we’ve got people who were afraid to leave their homes because of the drug dealing going on out on the street. When that happens it’s time to declare war on drugs.”

In the past year officials say the number of drug sales along city streets has soared, especially sales of rock cocaine.

“Inglewood is not going to be a drug supermarket,” Butts said. “We want people to know that if they come to Inglewood to buy drugs their chances of getting arrested are pretty high.”

Police officials say the crackdown will continue as long as needed.