Yesterday in Roxbury, the Boston Police Department's Citywide Neighborhood Engagement Safety Team (NEST), along with officers from various districts, apprehended 31-year-old William Allen on multiple narcotic charges. According to the official police report, the arrest unfolded as officers observed suspicious activities believed to be drug transactions.
With law enforcement stepping up patrols around Roxbury Street and Washington Street, a sergeant witnessed two individuals, after an alleged hand-to-hand exchange, walk into a store at 2371 Washington Street. The scene played out around 5:20 p.m. amid the neighborhood’s ongoing efforts to tackle what the department has termed 'quality-of-life concerns.' The suspects were tracked as they left the store and proceeded to part ways.
Allen's activities quickly drew attention again when he was spotted conversing with another person at approximately 5:30 PM. As with the first interaction, the two entered the store frequented earlier and exited separately. A waiting police unit, having been briefed on the situational developments, approached the female involved after the exchange. The officers retrieved a small plastic bag containing substances confirmed to be crack cocaine, and the woman was informed that she would face a summons for possession of a Class B substance.
Continuing their surveillance on Allen after he met a third person, the Boston police observed a similar pattern. A second hand-to-hand exchange ensued, leading to another stop where a small bag of crack cocaine was seized. The individual was also told they would receive a summons for possessing a Class B substance. Finally, the officers made their move on Allen, who was found with thirty-six individually wrapped packets of crack cocaine during his arrest.
Allen, a Boston resident, now faces judicial proceedings with an arraignment set in Roxbury District Court. The charges laid against him include two counts of Distribution of Class B and Possession of Class B with Intent to Distribute.
