LISTEN: DC Officials Change the Way They Fight Drugs

Nicole Raz
WMAL.com

WASHINGTON (WMAL) — Instead of going after low-level drug users, DC Mayor Muriel Bowser and Police Chief Cathy Lanier said Monday they want to go after the suppliers of narcotics.

Over the past three years, a growing number of businesses have been caught selling synthetic drugs in all eight wards of the District, Lanier told WMAL.

“Most of them are small businesses–liquor stores, gas stations and small variety stores,” she said.

In 2013 the DC Police Department seized 137 kilos of synthetic drugs from local businesses.

“While we try to go after it aggressively to stop it from continuing to grow, we just didn’t have the teeth to go after it,” she said.

Bowser announced new legislation that would up the fine from $2,000 to $10,000 and allow police to shut a business down for 96 hours if a business is caught selling synthetic drugs.

“This isn’t just a slap on the wrist anymore,” Lanier said.