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December 1990
POLICE PRACTICES
OPERATION HOTEL-MOTEL
The transient nature of drug dealers compounds law
enforcement's efforts to curb drug trafficking. Those involved
in this illegal activity travel to cities and towns throughout
the United States to sell drugs. In many instances, dealers use
hotels and motels as their base of operations until they move on
to other areas.
In an effort to curtail this practice, the Narcotics Unit
of the Omaha Police Department initiated Operation Hotel-Motel.
This is a program designed to inform local hotel and motel
employees of common characteristics and activities of drug
dealers. In turn, employees are asked to report to the police
when they observe an individual exhibiting any of the designated
traits.
INITIAL EFFORTS
To begin, drug investigators compiled a list of
characteristics common to persons involved in illegal drug
activity. Then, they canvassed local hotels and motels to
enlist their participation in the program. To promote
cooperation in this effort, investigators advised the
managements that every effort would be made to keep the name of
the establishment out of the news media. Over 50 establishments
agreed to participate.
TRAINING
The next step in the program was training. Drug
investigators instructed hotel and motel managers, front desk
personnel, and cleaning staffs in the profile characteristics
and activities often exhibited by drug traffickers. Also,
employees were told that scales, small plastic bags containing
residue, white powder residue on table tops or bathroom
counters, and packaging materials usually indicate involvement
with drugs, particularly trafficking.
During the training, the investigators simply asked the
employees to be observant of certain activity and items as they
carried out their assigned duties. They also cautioned
employees not to take any action if they see something
suspicious, except to report immediately what they saw to the
police.
ESTABLISHING PROBABLE CAUSE
Obviously, information on individuals displaying some of the
profile traits and suspicious activities does not establish
probable cause to obtain a search warrant. However, such
information does provide a basis for opening an investigation and
starting surveillance on the subject and the room involved.
In two specific instances, information provided by an alert
motel employee subsequently led to the arrests of two drug
dealers. While the information given by the motel employee did
not provide probable cause initially, the surveillance conducted
as a result of this information established sufficient probable
cause for a search warrant each time.
For example, during the surveillance conducted for one
particular investigation, officers observed the suspect carrying
a triple-beam balance scale, commonly used to measure drugs, into
a motel room. On another occasion, a Los Angeles gang member was
observed crawling onto the roof above his room and taking a sack
from the roof inside. In both of these instances, information
initially provided by astute hotel-motel workers led to the
subsequent arrest of drug dealers.
BENEFITS OF THE PROGRAM
The Narcotics Unit offers a reward for information that
leads to an arrest. But, there is more to be realized through a
program such as Operation Hotel-Motel than monetary gains for
hotel and motel employees.
For example, the program establishes a good working
relationship between the police department and the business
community. Investigators contact each participating hotel and
motel regularly, at least every 2 or 3 months. Also, uniform
beat officers, all of whom have been made aware of the program,
are encouraged to contact hotel and motel employees in their
assigned districts to promote cooperation in Operation
Hotel-Motel.
This close working relationship also extends to other areas
of police operations. Oftentimes, investigators need rooms from
which to conduct undercover buys and reverse stings. For the
most part, businesses involved in Operation Hotel-Motel provide
their facilities without hesitation.
RESULTS
Operation Hotel-Motel began in 1988. During the first year
of operation, the Narcotics Unit made over 50 drug-related
arrests at motels and hotels and seized more than 6 pounds of
cocaine and over 40 pounds of marijuana. The investigators
confiscated approximately $50,000 in cash. Recently, during a
2-week period in April 1990, information obtained from two
different hotel employees resulted in five felony drug arrests
and the confiscation of several ounces of methamphetamine and
cocaine, hallucinogenic mushrooms, LSD, two vehicles, two
handguns, and over $16,000 in cash. Obviously, the productivity
of Operation Hotel-Motel continues.
CONCLUSION
Operation Hotel-Motel enlists the cooperation and
participation of the local businesses, and its success is
well-documented. On more than 15 occasions, personnel from
Omaha's Narcotics Unit have made presentations on the program to
law enforcement agencies throughout the Midwest. Several of
these agencies implemented identical or similar programs.
Programs such as Operation Hotel-Motel build good relations
between the police and the community it serves. They are also an
extremely effective method to combat the drug problem that
plagues this country.
_______________
Information for this column was provided by Sgt. Mark T.
Langan, Narcotics Unit, Omaha, Nebraska, Police Department.