That number is seven times more than the unit's 10 other squads combined. Those 10 squads - made up of more than 100 officers - raided only three stores during the same period.
The Daily News over the past three weeks has uncovered allegations leveled by 15 store owners that Cujdik, his brother, and officers who worked with them, destroyed or cut wires to surveillance cameras during the raids. Once the cameras went dark, thousands of dollars in cash and merchandise disappeared, contend the store owners, all of whom were arrested. Their stores were left in shambles. Before the officers left and locked the stores, they allegedly helped themselves to snacks, drinks and cigarettes, and left refrigerator doors open, spoiling the food inside. They swept merchandise from the shelves onto the floor, the merchants said.
Police Commissioner Charles Ramsey said that officers target merchants who sell the ziplock bags because the sales hurt the quality of life in the neighborhood by attracting drug dealers.
"It's a law and unless the law changes, it's enforceable," he said.
"The issue is whether the conduct of the police officers was appropriate. If it's found to be not appropriate, well, then we'll take care of it," he added.
Jeremiah Daley, who headed the Police Department's narcotics division from 1998 to 2002, said paraphernalia cases were not a priority during his tenure.
In fact, his officers had only a handful of such cases during those five years, he said.
"The main focus of the Narcotics Field Unit was to investigate violent drug-related organizations and neighborhood drug traffickers inside residential and commercial properties," Daley said.
