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.