Data were obtained from police reports and documents; observations of OPP patrols in 1985; and open-ended interviews with community members, drug users, drug treatment personnel, police administrators, and police officers. OPP forces moved into the Lower East Side with strength and confidence, quickly establishing an imposing police presence in the community. These forces primarily included uniformed patrol officers who worked the streets mostly on foot, dispersing crowds, giving out parking tickets, conducting searches, and making arrests. OPP substantially increased the risk of arrest for drug buyers and drug sellers. Even when unable to make arrests, OPP forces tried to discourage drug involvement by acting as a "judicial punitive body." The combination of law enforcement and community-oriented strategies incorporated in OPP changed how drugs were marketed and also decreased the volume of drug trafficking and drug- related crime. 71 references, 43 notes, and 1 table