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Massena Police Department appointing dedicated drug investigator

Posted 5/31/17

Updated 2:59 p.m. May 31 By ANDY GARDNER An upcoming personnel shift at the Massena Police Department will create a dedicated drug investigator. Effective June 5, Ptl. Michael O’Brien will be …

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Massena Police Department appointing dedicated drug investigator

Posted

Updated 2:59 p.m. May 31

By ANDY GARDNER

An upcoming personnel shift at the Massena Police Department will create a dedicated drug investigator.

Effective June 5, Ptl. Michael O’Brien will be promoted to investigator and Inv. Corey Francis will investigate nothing but drug offenses, according to Chief Adam Love.

O'Brien and Senior Inv. Jason Olson will investigate mainly property, violent and sex crimes, the chief said.

“We’re hoping the addition of this third investigator we will be able to reduce the amount of narcotics being sold and brought into the village of Massena,” Love said.

He said the current investigators have identified 43 drug houses that police are keeping under watch.

He said they label addresses as drug houses based on “intel we’re getting from the investigators and Massena community, houses we know where there’s drug activity.”

Sometimes they use the department’s Humvee to monitor those houses, which has four cameras on the top that record 360-degree video with audio.

Love said investigators seized $70,269 worth of narcotics in 2016. That included 78.82 grams of heroin valued at $42,916; 215.53 grams of crack cocaine valued at $21,553; 42 grams of powder cocaine valued at $4,200; 1 gram of fentanyl valued at $10; and 50 morphine pills valued at $1,500.

He says this is “significantly higher” than 2015 seizures.

O’Brien will be replaced as a patrolman by Marc Plante. The village board on May 16 unanimously voted to hire him. He passed the Sullivan Law Enforcement Academy in Canton in 2015. He lives in the Village of Massena and is now working for the Norwood Police Department, Love told the board at the time.