Local law authorities have long worked with hotels to make arrests for prostitution and for minors throwing parties with alcohol. However, several recent heroin arrests in Annapolis area hotels have shifted officials’ focus to hotels to crackdown on drug distribution.
Last fall, the police department launched Operation HOPE, which stands for Heroin Overdose Prevention and Eradication, in the southern part of Anne Arundel County to combat increasing heroin use. Heroin use is on the rise nationwide and local law enforcement officials want to stop its growth locally before it becomes an epidemic.
Heroin use increasing nationally
Heroin is still a relatively rare drug overall, but its use is growing rapidly. A recent study from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration said that 669,000 people over the age of 12 used heroin at least once in 2012. Approximately 156,000 of those were first-time users and the remaining were considered dependent on the drug. According to the study, heroin dependence has doubled since 2002.
Heroin is on the rise because it’s a less expensive alternative to prescription drugs. Drug users have reported that the high from heroin is very similar to the high from prescription drugs like Oxycontin. However, it’s much less expensive and sometimes available on the street for as little as $10 per pill.
Once someone becomes hooked on heroin, it’s a very difficult addiction to beat. Actor Phillip Seymour Hoffman had reportedly been off heroin for more than 20 years, but still managed to relapse. He died in early February from a reported overdose.
Law enforcement turning attention to hotels
As part of the local effort to stop the heroin epidemic, law enforcement officials have turned their attention to area hotels. Officials say hotels can be problematic for enforcing drug distribution laws. As soon as the police have a lead, the suspects can often pack up and simply leave. Drug dealers also don’t have to fear eviction. The worst that can happen is that they’re asked to leave the hotel, in which case they can often find another room at a different hotel.
Police have made a string of recent heroin arrests in Annapolis hotels. The most recent came on Feb. 21 at the Extended Stay America on Womack Drive. Police say they witnessed a heroin transaction in the parking lot. After checking with hotel staff, they learned that there had been complaints about excessive noise and a marijuana odor coming from two rooms on the third floor. When police knocked on the door of the room, multiple people reportedly jumped out the room’s third floor window.
Inside the room, police say they found 6.7 grams of marijuana, one gram of heroin, $3,000 in cash, and numerous scales and other distribution devices. Four individuals in their early-20’s were eventually arrested for their role in the incident.
The day before that arrest, police arrested three men and seized more than $5,000 worth of heroin and cocaine from a room at the Best Western on Riva Road. Earlier in February, police made another heroin arrest at the same Extended Stay America.
Heroin is extremely dangerous to one’s health and safety, but it also comes with serious legal consequences. Police are stepping up their efforts to make more heroin arrests in Annapolis. Individuals who are convicted of heroin-related crimes could face time in jail, probation, and fines. If you’re charged with a heroin-related crime, you could benefit from speaking with an experienced criminal defense attorney who can review your case and recommend the best option for presenting a defense in court.
