Houston’s Light Rail System

Is There A “Drug Stash House” In Your Neighborhood?

The nature of the wholesale illegal drug business causes smuggling and distributing organizations to store drugs temporarily in what they think is a safe place, until they can sell or move the drugs to other cities. These organizations usually pick a location in a neighborhood or apartment complex where they think they will not be noticed. Narcotics investigators call these hiding places “Stash Houses.”

Unlike a house where low level dealers sell drugs to users, with all the attendant traffic coming and going, Stash Houses are chosen and used in a way that the drug traffickers think will prevent suspicion. They count on neighbors and other people in the community not to be suspicious. There are indicators to look for to detect if a house is being used to store drugs in you neighborhood:

  • Usually a rental home.
  • Caretaker prefers homes with attached garages.
  • Often difficult for police to watch, on a cul-de-sac or dead-end.
  • The yard in unkempt.
  • They seldom put trash at the curb for pickup.
  • Different vehicles, especially vans and pickup trucks, will enter and exit, day or night.
  • Different people appear to be living there, with no sign of the previous occupants moving out.
  • Vehicles will have a variety of license plates, and many will be out-of-state or paper 'buyer' plates.
  • Occupants may be seen dismantling vehicles.
  • Usually little, if any, furniture in the home.
  • Occupants tend to keep to themselves, and are not visible on a daily basis.

If you are aware of a house that displays many of these indicators, contact the Houston Police Department Narcotics Division by calling the below listed officers. Police Officers will evaluate the suspected Stash House and conduct investigations where warranted. Your information will be kept confidential, and there are cash rewards for providing information that leads to the seizure of illegal drugs and drug money

Stash House Coordinators

Officer D. A. Rosales, 281-405-6405 Officer J. W. Thompson, 281-405-6409 Sgt/Inv. L. A. Woodard, 281-405-6406