Vellucci Proposes Statute To Reward Drug Informers

Cambridge Mayor Alfred E. Vellucci has "declared open warfare on all dope pushers" and is sponsoring legislation before the City Council that would generously reward individuals for information leading to the arrest and conviction of both "major suppliers" and simple "pushers."

The rewards, which do not exclude members of law enforcement agencies, would pay $10,000 for information that convicts a major supplier and $1000 for information that convicts a street pusher. The legislation is on the docket for Monday night's City Council meeting.

Other sections of the statute would increase the size of the narcotics squad, which now numbers five, and would assign a police officer to investigate drug traffic within the Cambridge schools. Vellueci specifically mentioned putting two specially trained policemen and one policewoman in Harvard Square on a 24-hour basis.

"We're going back to the early 1800's when bounties were placed on people breaking the law," Vellucci said at a press conference yesterday afternoon. "We're going to create an army of bounty hunters."

Sovereignty

To date Cambridge police have not raided Harvard dormitories for drugs. When Vellucei was asked whether Cambridge police would ask Harvard authorities if they could raid the college rooms, Vellucei reddened and replied. "We don't need permission to go into Harvard. Harvard is not a sovereign state. Mr. Pusey is not a king in this city."

When Vellucci was then asked whether Cambridge police would exercise their prerogative to raid Harvard rooms, Vellueci shouted, "Why, certainly we would do it!"

To show that he has the statutory muscle to enforce his legislation, Vellueci distributed copies of General Laws, Chapter 43, Section 100, which state in part that "in time of public danger or emergency as determined by the City Council, the Mayor may with the consent of the City Council take command of the police to maintain order and enforce laws."

A former Cambridge City Manager said that the City Council would never give Vellucci police power and that the Mayor simply referred to the particular statute for publicity reasons.

The proposed legislation shocked a high University administrator, whose first reaction was "Oh, my God!" The administrator, who asked not to be identified, said that the understandings which have existed for many years between Cambridge and the University have probably been short-circuited. He noted that during the 1970 summer riots. Cambridge police cut a chain from a locked Yard gate and stormed through the Yard, without first notifying the University.

Vellueci lashed out at the Harvard and M.I.T. health centers for their policy of not treating non-university addicts. He said that the Cambridge Hospital will treat Harvard or M.I.T. men for drugs and that these universities should in turn make their beds available. In addition, Dr. James B. Hartgering, Cambridge Commissioner of Public Health, stated that in May, only eight addicts were seen in the emergency room but "now we are seeing more than 60 individuals a month with the primary diagnosis of drug abuse." His letter termed the drug problem one of "epidemic proportions."