A second traffic stop resulted in the arrest of Katelyn M. Gralinski of Hadley for possession of more than 100 illegal pills.
Dion Charles SPRINGFIELD - City police made their first significant arrest Wednesday night under a trial program that emphasizes rigorous enforcement of traffic offenses in high-crime areas, police said.
Dion Charles, 32, of 177 Lebanon St., was charged with trafficking between 28-100 grams of cocaine, possession of marijuana with intent to distribute, and violation of a drug-free school zone, said Sgt. John M. Delaney.
He was stopped just before 8 p.m. by Sgt. Robert Tardiff, after Tardiff saw him fail to use a directional signal while turning and then fail to come to a complete stop for a stop sign at Chestnut and Grosvenor streets, Delaney said.
Tardiff was on patrol as part of a deployment called the Data-Driven Approach to Crime and Traffic Safety, or DDACTS, which was launched this month on trial basis under a federal grant for $147,000. It focuses on reducing crime in parts of the city by strict enforcement of motor-vehicle laws.
Tardiff asked Charles to step out of the car after he smelled a strong odor of marijuana coming from the car and saw scales and packaging materials in plain view, Delaney said. A recent state Supreme Judicial Court ruling determined the smell of marijuana is not alone grounds for police to search a suspect's car, but Delaney said the presence of drug paraphernalia gave sufficient grounds.
Police found 29.8 grams of cocaine and some marijuana, each packaged for sale, and $360 in cash, Delaney said.
"Charles is facing 7 years in jail due to his not signaling his turn and running a stop sign," Delaney said.
Katelyn M. GralinskiA second motorist was arrested on drug charges following a traffic stop on Worthington Street at 2 a.m. Thursday, although that arrest was due to routine patrol and not specifically to a DDACTS deployment, Delaney said.
Officers Maciej Jasiniski and Michael Rivera stopped 26-year-old Katelyn M. Gralinski of 57 Mount Warner St., Hadley, after a routine check of her license plate showed Gralinski had a suspended license, Delaney said.
After she was taken into custody, officers searched her car and found a gym bag containing 120 different pills, including oxycodone, morphine, and amphetamines, $119 and a fake ID.
She was charged with driving with a suspended license and possession of a class E substance with intent to distribute.