Bureau Chief:
Assistant District Attorney
Wilbert J. LeMelle
In 1980, the New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services reported that there were 1,432 felony drug arrests in Queens. In 1988, at the height of the crack epidemic, the figure was 6,520, as many Queens neighborhoods, like other areas in New York, became overwhelmed by the plague.
Although the number of felony drug arrests has declined from its height in 1988, and, with the increased enforcement, the problem as abated somewhat. The county remains vulnerable to the violence and deterioration caused by drug trafficking.
In addition to the attack on the drug trade in the street, the Narcotic Investigations Bureau has devoted significant resources to tracing and seizing large shipments of narcotics through the airports or in vehicles as traffickers drive to distribution points on Long Island or here in Queens.
The battle against narcotics trafficking requires a high degree of cooperation and coordination with specialized law enforcement units, including the New York City Police Department’s Queens Narcotics Division, the United States Customs Service and federal drug enforcement task forces.
The Narcotic Investigations Bureau’s mission is to conduct long term investigations into organized narcotics trafficking. Narcotic Investigations uses sophisticated investigative techniques, such as intensive surveillance, search warrants, undercover officers, as well as wiretapping and other electronic devices.
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