Pubdate: Wed, 06 Dec 2000
Source: Rutland Herald (VT)
Copyright: 2000 Rutland Herald
Address: P.O. Box 668, Rutland VT 05702-0668
Fax: (802) 775-2423
Feedback: http://rutlandherald.nybor.com/News/Opinion/Letters/
Website: http://www.rutlandherald.com/
Author: Alethea Renzi

CHIEF CONFIDENT OF RESULTS IN DRUG FIGHT

Rutland City's police chief says an infusion of $60,000 for drug enforcement
work will translate into more arrests.

Chief Anthony Bossi said Tuesday that efforts would begin immediately to
attack the city's drug problem, which is being blamed, in part, for the
murders of three Rutland residents.

There has been a strong public reaction to the brutal slaying of three
people last week. Mayor John Cassarino responded by pledging to earmark
$60,000 in private and public funds to combat the city's growing drug
problem.

Relatives and friends of the victims spoke passionately Monday evening at a
meeting of the city's Board of Aldermen, demanding action from local and
state elected officials.

To fight the drug problem, Bossi said he needed more officers on patrol and
more police hours to follow up on leads in drug cases.

Until now, Bossi said, he couldn't afford to do that.

Now, thanks to $20,000 from private businesses, $20,000 from the city's
settlement with mall developer Damian Zamias and a likely $20,000 grant from
the state's Department of Public Safety, he can move forward.

"Being proactive means being out there," Bossi said Tuesday.

And, he said, the money will produce results.

With increased attention on the drug problem, the chief said, it's possible
the number of burglaries and armed robberies will go down.

"I can't think of any recent burglaries or armed robberies that weren't
related to drugs," he said.

Bossi said there was a direct link between an increase in property crimes
and an increase in drug use. The crimes, he said, were desperate acts by
desperate people.

Just since July 1, Bossi said, the city has experienced a whopping 60-80
percent increase over the 1999 total of burglaries, break-ins and other
thefts. And it's seen a sharp increase in heroin use and arrests.

With more officers on patrol more often, Bossi said, police will be able to
devote more attention to local drug users and dealers.

While the department will use some undercover patrols, the police chief said
he would stop short of forming a separate drug task force.

The department will, however, continue to work with the Southern Vermont
Drug Task Force. Officers from a number of departments make up the task
force, including one officer from Rutland City. These officers devote their
time solely to drug investigations.

Drug task forces are a good way for smaller police departments to target
drug problems, according to James O'Kane, a criminology and urban crime
expert at Drew University in Madison, N.J.

"If a police force is limited, creating a task force could help enormously
in zeroing in on drugs like heroin," he said. "It helps because it focuses
in on the problem, rather than making it one of many."

O'Kane said finding out where the drugs are coming from is also an important
part of the investigative process.

Bossi said the existing regional task force works with other task forces in
and out of Vermont, trading and gathering information on dealers who are
crossing state lines.

He said he would like to hire a couple of officers to work solely on drug
investigations, but first he needs to get his department back at full
strength.

The department should have 38 full-time officers, but Bossi said they are
three officers short right now. The department needs both full-time and
part-time officers.

"We're always in the hiring process," he said.

Two officers are out with knee injuries, he said, and he's not sure when
they'll be back full time.

Bossie said the department was also hurt by the loss of two dispatchers last
year. Prior to the budget cuts, there were two dispatchers on at all times;
now there's only one dispatcher at any given time.

"It's hard because the officers have to be the backup for them, and that
takes them off the street," he said.

Bossi said he couldn't predict how long the $60,000 would last the
department.

Drug investigations take a long time, he said. First police have to identify
possible drug dealers, then begin the arduous process of surveillance and
evidence-gathering.

"It's an ongoing process," he said.

Public sentiment at the aldermen's meeting seemed to be that $60,000 was a
drop in the bucket. But Bossi said he believed it would make a very real
difference to local law enforcement efforts.

The aldermen unanimously approved spending $20,000 from the Zamias fund on
the effort. Local business leader John Russell already had $11,000 pledged
from private sources by noon on Monday and was confident he would have the
full $20,000 within a week, Cassarino said.

The city was going to apply immediately for the $20,000 in state funds.

Bossi was ready to start spending Tuesday. He said the increased efforts in
drug enforcement would begin immediately, and there would be results.

"We'll be making more arrests."
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