Question about Police Arresting Drug Dealers?

Question

Say that I saw drug dealing take place at the same location once a week or once every other week. Say that I know the home address of the person who is buying the drugs. I don't know anything about the drug dealer but I do know it's the same person everytime. I also know that the drug dealing takes place outside in a parking lot near the drug possessor's home. Say that I report the drug possession and drug dealing to the police anonymously. I tell them the exact location of where the crime took place, I give them descriptions and the name of one of the perpetrators and I tell them the possible days of the month the crime usually occurs on. (example: it's usually on either a Mon or a Tues)

After the police obtains this information from me, what will the police do next?

Will they go to the drug possesor's house in attempt to find the drugs and arrest him on charges of drug possession and just question him about the drug dealers who aren't present, and then try to look for the drug dealers?

Or will they go to the location (parking lot) where the drug dealings take place and watch them do it and arrest both the drug possessor and drug dealer simultaneously? Would it be so difficult for the police to do this option because the police doesn't know for sure exactly what day or what time the drug dealing will take place, therefore they wouldn't do this option? Or would the police dept. have a couple officers go to location and keep an eye on the area for weeks until they catch the drug dealers in the act?

Answer 1

Well, if they were to go to the person's home whom you are NARCing, they first would need to obtain a warrant from a judge. In order to get the warrant they need probable cause. While statements from an anonymous witness can form the basis of probable cause, the cops would need to confirm a number of your statements. This would mean staking out the particular location to determine whether your statements jive with reality. If the cops witness what you witness, then the cops would have probable cause to arrest the people right on the spot. Or, the cops could use what they witnessed with their own two eyes in conjunction with your statement to get a warrant to search the person's home.

However, I think if the drug dealing is as open, obvious and routine as you suggest, it'd make more sense for the cops to stake out the scene and make the arrests on the spot rather than going through the trouble of trying to corroborate an anonymous statement to satisfy constitutional requirement of probable cause and assauge the judge that he or she is signing a valid warrant.

Generally, anonymous statements are frowned upon because there is a concern that the statement is merely being used to further a feud between the parties. Let's say I hate my neighbor and want to cause him a mess of trouble. I could easily call the police and anonymously falsely accuse him of having a boat load of child pornography. This is why there is a requirement of corroboration of some of the salient facts contained offered by the anonymous tipster. It's actually a pretty hefty constitutional analysis and offers a great danger of getting any evidence tossed at trial. That's why cops prefer to have the names and faces of any tipsters. People are less likely to make false reports when there is accountability.

Answer 2

Most towns, even small ones are likely to have more than two people dealing drugs. Knowing someone is doing it and proving it at are two different matters. The police would physically have to see someone selling the drugs, have someone buy the drugs for them or have the drugs sold to an undercover officer in order to get a search warrant for the house. Or maybe the officers don't know about them. All you seem to be providing is second hand information. You can make police reports anonymously. If everyone like you doesn't have the pair to step up and call, the police might not know about them.

Answer 3

Wow.. a real wide spread range of opinions. If you can video tape one of these events and then mail the video tape to the local narcotics unit.
Tips like this are followed up by which are the most fruitful. Meaning if you can provide a picture of the dealer, their car description, an exchange happening, etc.
The more info the more likely it will be followed up. The bigger the target the faster the response. If this is some small time dealer than I would make the complaint to the local pd so a patrolman can scare them away.
Most drug officers are bogged down in case loads anyways and are trying to use the triage effect to slow down the drug trade.

Answer 4

Information is great but they will have to verify it with their own teams. They prolly would use undercover cops not roll in their with patrol cars and lights flashing.
Although the other day our friends saw a bunch of teenagers doing drugs on their front lawn and the cops came in 5 minutes.
They consider the source of the information and its each department's call.

Answer 5

With any luck the gestapo will erroneously enter your house mistaking you for the poor unemployed man selling a plant to feed his kids. Then they will beat you in front of your kids then do bad things to your wife take everything you own then say oops
Another victim of the drug war give em a call skippy

Answer 6

If you can specifically identify the location and time they will go to the scene of the exchange. They'll break it up durring te process and arrest both parties. From their they will prob. search the dealers house. It's a different process after the arrest.

Answer 7

Most likley it will be observed, then an undercover narcotics agent will buy drugs from the dealer (which gives probable cause and a search warrent is then issued).

Answer 8

typically, the police will monitor the area discretely until they can catch them in the act. they will not act on your statement alone... who's to say you aren't just mad at your neighbor and are trying to get even with them. they hear all kinds of stories.. they need to make sure when they make an arrest the charges are going to hold up in a court of law.

Answer 9

The only folks who can answer this question are the law enforcement agency to which you gave the information. What they do with it is entirely up to them.

Answer 10

if you call the drug enforcement in your area they would set up and watch the buys take place then bust them.