Narcotics Division

Narcotics Division
Patch of the Narcotics Division
Common name	Narcotics "Narco"
Abbreviation	ND
Organizational structure
Part of	Los Angeles Police Department Office of Operations Detective Bureau
Headquarters	Police Administration Building, 100 West 1st Street, Los Angeles
Command staff
Commanding Officer	Captain III

The Narcotics Division (ND) of the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) is responsible for monitoring narcotic enforcement efforts on a citywide basis and investigating major occurrences involving narcotics and dangerous drugs which are illegally manufactured, supplied, or distributed; and investigating major suppliers and distributors of narcotics or dangerous drugs who are engaged in illegal activities on an organized, commercial basis.

Functions of the Narcotics Division

Office of the Commanding Officer

The Office of the Commanding Officer is comprised of the Commanding Officer, administrative staff, and the informant coordinator.

Additionally, the Commanding Officer is responsible for the following issues concerning the Narcotics Enforcement Details (NED) of the geographic Area Gang Impact Teams (GIT):

• administering U.S. Secret Service funds
• collecting and analyzing arrest, seizure, search warrant, and narcotics report statistics
• conducting background investigations on all NED applicants
• coordinating the recruitment, selection and assignment of NED personnel
• coordinating, issuing and maintaining control over ND vehicles and specialized equipment assigned to NED personnel
• performing required audits of Narcotics Division issues
• processing informants, to include the review and maintenance of informant packages
• training

The Narcotics Enforcement Details operate under the line command of the GIT Officer-in-Charge, but remain under the functional supervision of the Narcotics Division.

Support Services Section

The Support Services Section is responsible for four units:

• The Audit/Special Investigation Unit conducts audits of the operational procedures and protocols of Narcotics Division entities, including Narcotics Enforcement Details, to ensure compliance with appropriate department rules and regulations. The unit also conducts confidential investigations at the discretion of the Commanding Officer.

• The Administrative Unit is responsible for personnel related matters of Narcotics Division, keeping of employees' time to ensure proper compensation, and maintaining statistical data concerning narcotics arrests and seizures. The unit is responsible for ensuring that all personnel coming into Narcotics undergo a thorough background screening, including polygraph testing.

• The Training/Projects Unit is responsible for ensuring that all Narcotics Division personnel undergo Department mandated training. The unit also conducts research and completes projects in response to inquiries form internal and external sources.

• The Logistics Unit coordinates, maintains, issues, and procures the specialized equipment employed by Narcotics Division personnel. In addition, the unit manages the fleet of vehicles used by Narcotics Division.

Major Enforcement Section A

The Major Enforcement Section A is composed of five squads:

• The K-9 Squad trains and supervises the use of narcotics detection dogs and bloodhounds for the department.
  • Narcotics detection K9s assist in the search and recovery of narcotics as they are trained to detect the odors of cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, and marijuana. They are also used to locate narcotics and drug tainted money in a variety of field situations and have assisted in detecting narcotics being transported at airports, through the mail, at bus terminals, and other transportation facilities.
  • Bloodhounds can assist officers in the field in a variety of situations that include: locating or providing the direction of travel of a suspect or missing person, identifying suspects with scent evidence obtained at crime scenes, assisting with the investigation of an unoccupied vehicle that is left at scene by providing investigative leads, and leading officers to areas or residences frequented by the suspect or lost person.

• The Parcel Squad is responsible for the investigation of narcotics sent through parcel delivery services and operates in partnership with the U.S. Postal Inspection Service on cases involving the federal postal system. The Parcel Squad interdicts packages containing narcotics and currency, makes controlled deliveries, often in concert with other law enforcement agencies, and arrests suspects who use the public and private mail system to distribute narcotics and its proceeds.

• The 9Y440 Squad conducts major long-term narcotics investigations, often involving the use of wiretaps and other means of covert surveillance.

• The Asset Forfeiture Investigative Unit conducts complex investigations and seizures of money obtained through nefarious narcotics or other criminal activities. The unit also tracks the department's share of forfeited assets and subsequent disbursements.

• The LAX Squad conducts investigations concerning the importation and transportation of narcotics and narcotics tainted currency through the Los Angeles International Airport and the surrounding area.

Major Enforcement Section B

The Major Enforcement Section B conducts buy/bust operations in targeted narcotics trafficking locations. The primary responsibility of the Major Enforcement Section B is the elimination of blatant street sales and use of narcotics through the utilization of "Buy Teams" and the Narcotics Abatement Unit.

Juvenile Narcotic Section

The Juvenile Narcotic Section is responsible for:

• case disposition of juvenile alcohol, narcotic, and toxic substance abuse arrests
• conducting Narcotic Report investigations when the suspect is a juvenile or when juveniles are the primary victims
• conducting undercover juvenile narcotics investigations
• exchanging juvenile narcotic related information with outside agencies
• maintaining juvenile case packages relating to narcotics, alcohol, and toxic substance abuse

Drug Task Forces Section

The Drug Task Forces Section is comprised of six squads operating under the auspices of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA):

• The Los Angeles Interagency Metropolitan Police Apprehension Crime Task Force (L.A. IMPACT) operates in Los Angeles County. The squad conducts investigations of medium to high-level drug trafficking enterprises and is comprised of officers from federal, State, and local law enforcement agencies.
  • The Covert Operation and Informant Network (COIN) operates under the umbrella of L.A. IMPACT. Personnel assigned to COIN are charged with the development of narcotics cases originating from informant information. The COIN squad also monitors the use of informants during covert operations.
  • The California Methamphetamine Strategy Task Force is another L.A. IMPACT squad. The CALMS squad conducts investigation of major methamphetamine trafficking organization chemical companies, manufacturers, and distributors.
  • The Allied Laboratory Enforcement Response Team (ALERT) also operates under L.A. IMPACT. The ALERT Squad responds to the site of clandestine laboratory seizures within the southern area of the L.A. IMPACT service area.

• The Narcotics Division currently has two operational squads operating under the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Enforcement Initiatives. These squads conduct long term, complex investigations, targeting major narcotics trafficking organizations.

Investigative Support Section

The Investigative Support Section has two operational sub-components:

• The Complaint Detail evaluates all citywide narcotic arrests for presentation to the District or City Attorney’s Office for criminal filing. Additionally, the Complaint Detail duties encompass arrestee processing of all adult felony and misdemeanor narcotics arrestees, preparation of case packages for presentation for criminal filings, follow up responsibility on narcotics arrests, and maintaining records and files of narcotic arrests. It also reviews and coordinates requests for pretrial destruction of excessive quantities of controlled substances, the disposal of property, responding to subpoenas duces tecum and legal processes directed to ND, and arranging for prisoner transportation and release.

• The Narcotics Information Network (NIN) is responsible for the collection and analysis of sensitive narcotics information and promoting the exchange of confidential information not obtainable through regular law enforcement channels. The NIN also maintains the anti-drug hotline. The NIN also maintains a liaison with the Los Angeles Joint Drug Intelligence Group which provides long term and strategic intelligence to all law enforcement agencies operating with the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area alliance.

Narcotics interacting with Major Crimes

In “The Other Woman”, Priority Homicide clashed with the Narcotics Division, when a PHD investigation overlaps with a 2-year Narcotics investigation and the Narcotics detectives were less than pleased with Deputy Chief Johnson's demands. Also, after Priority Homicide tracked down some leads they got from Narcotics which turned out to be nothing, Lt. Provenza exclaimed that "Narcotics fed us a bunch of bull!"

In “Products of Discovery”, Major Crimes accidentally stumbles into a joint Narcotics Division-FBI task force investigation into a drug smuggler.

In “Pick Your Poison”, Officer Cooper from the Juvenile Narcotic Section assists the Major Crimes Division. Cooper is a a "buy guy" (i.e. an undercover officer who poses as a student and makes drug buys) at the high school which Major Crimes' victims attended, and supplied Major Crimes with a list of drug dealers who sold powdered ecstasy (aka MDMA, aka "molly").

All throughout the five-episode story arc, "Hindsight", of Major Crimes, Season 4, Narcotics Division Detective Stephanie Dunn was attached to the Major Crimes Division. Dunn assisted Major Crimes in investigating a large organized drug trafficking operation. Additionally, in “Hindsight, Part 1”, someone named Chad from Narcotics provided Major Crimes with information relating to the drugs which were recovered from the victim's car, reporting that their street value was approximately $7,500–$8,000.

In “N.S.F.W.”, Det. Jordan Valdez from the Vice Division mentioned that they handed off an investigation into a porn production company specializing in "barely legal" pornography to the Narcotics Division, as they were unable to find proof of sex crimes, but were hoping "narco" could find something.

In “Dead Drop”, Narcotics confirmed that the weed Major Crimes located during their case was a particularly potent batch with a street value of about $32,000 per pound.

In “Sanctuary City, Part 1”, Assistant Chief Leo Mason has Narcotics send for warrants regarding some wiretaps the Major Crimes Division needed, as ND can get them processed and up-and-running much faster than Major Crimes.

Known personnel

	Detective Pike is (presumably) assigned to the Major Enforcement Section B on The Closer, Season 2.(“The Other Woman”) He was portrayed by Mark Allan Stewart (at IMDb).
	Detective Rios is (presumably) assigned to the Major Enforcement Section B on The Closer, Season 2.(“The Other Woman”) She was portrayed by Jossara Jinaro (at IMDb).
	Detective Nick Carey is assigned to the Drug Task Forces Section on The Closer, Season 5.(“Products of Discovery”) He was portrayed by Lee Tergesen (at IMDb).
	Police Officer I Cooper is assigned to temporary duties in the Juvenile Narcotic Section on Major Crimes, Season 2.(“Pick Your Poison”) Cooper was assigned to Juvenile Narcotics as a "buy guy" at a local high school straight out of the police academy. After finishing the temporary assignment, he will go on patrol to finish his field training. He was portrayed by Devon Werkheiser (at IMDb).
	Detective Stephanie Dunn is (presumably) assigned to the Major Enforcement Section B on The Closer and Major Crimes, though she only appears in Season 4 of Major Crimes (“Hindsight, Part 1” – “Hindsight, Part 5”). Stephanie transferred to Narcotics in 2004 from the Robbery-Homicide Division during the aftermath of the "Reese Murders".

Notes

In the real world, the Narcotics Division was merged with the Gang and Operations Support Division in 2008 to create the new Gang and Narcotics Division (GND). This merger has not happened in the Major Crimes Universe, as Narcotics continues to exists under its original name, and gang operations remain under the purview of the Special Operations Bureau.

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