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For the undercover purchase of illegal drugs, one option was
termed "letting the money walk", where the undercover police
officer would make the purchase, leave the premises, complete a
property receipt for the supposed drugs, and after analysis of
the substance, if positive, later arrest the seller with a
warrant. The officers would not recover the money used to
purchase the drugs as the arrest was not immediate. By letting
the money walk and establishing a relationship with that dealer,
it might be possible to apprehend individuals higher up in the
drug organization. For larger purchases where the authority to
let the money walk was not available, a "buy-bust" could be used.
Once the dealer produced the drugs, the officer would arrest the
dealer and recover the purchase money.
According to departmental procedure, Philadelphia police
officers prepared investigation reports for any drug searches or
purchases they conducted. The assigned officer was responsible
for completing the investigation report. Additionally, arrest
reports were prepared for persons arrested, and property seizure
reports were prepared for items seized from suspects. Seized
items were taken to the evidence room, except that suspected
drugs were sent to the police chemical lab, where an analysis
reflecting the weights and types of drugs seized would be
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Last modified: May 25, 2011