Pubdate: Sun, 11 Nov 2001 Source: Savannah Morning News (GA) Copyright: 2001 Savannah Morning News Contact: http://www.savannahnow.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/401 NEW TEAM IN DRUG FIGHT For years, Savannah Mayor Floyd Adams Jr. has criticized the county-run Chatham-Savannah Narcotics Team for not doing enough to get street-level drug dealers off the streets, particularly in the inner city. Mr. Adams' frustrations are understandable. He is speaking for many law-abiding constituents who live in neighborhoods where the drug crowd operates, and people whose homes and lives could be in jeopardy. Unfortunately, the mayor's proposed response of the past -- withdrawing the city's support of the CNT and making the Savannah Police Department the primary drug enforcer in the city -- is a short-sighted and ultimately ineffective approach. Simply locking up street dealers isn't the answer. For every 19- or 20-year-old pusher who gets busted, two or three others are ready to take his place. You don't kill a snake by chopping off a little piece of its tail. You go for the head. How to best use limited public resources to battle drug-related crime will always be debated. Measuring the effectiveness of various approaches is difficult as well. But fortunately, it appears Savannah and Chatham County police officials have resolved -- at least for now - -- the ongoing political dispute about drug enforcement within the city. Essentially, the city and CNT are teaming up. Last week, during a press conference to announce the results of a major drug bust, CNT Commander Steve Smith and Savannah Police Maj. Willie Lovett outlined new marching orders for the two units. Capt. Smith said his unit, which draws manpower from several local police departments and is funded by Chatham County, will focus most of its energies on nabbing mid-to upper-level drug suppliers and distributors. Maj. Lovett said a special team of Savannah police officers, funded by the city, will zero in on dealers who are at the bottom of the pecking order, but who tend to be the most visible -- those who sell crack, marijuana and other illegal drugs on street corners. The proposal, which hits both the wholesale and retail levels of the drug trade, makes considerable sense. City police officers who routinely patrol the streets in their precincts should be familiar with what is going on. They might not be able to catch dealers in the act of committing a crime. However, simply by their presence, they can disrupt the marketplace and make routine transactions between buyers and sellers difficult. But that's not all. If an officer has to take a suspected dealer to police headquarters for questioning for a few hours, or has to see if he's carrying an illegal firearm or is wanted for parole or probation violations, then drug traffickers will be on notice that Savannah police mean business. The CNT, meanwhile, would be free to concentrate on those behind the scenes who supply the street dealers. Hitting the supply lines is critical if authorities want to make an impact. But such investigations are typically time consuming and expensive. A case in point in last week's drug bust -- one of Savannah's largest in recent years. Federal agents with the Drug Enforcement Administration, CNT agents and city police officers spent more than three months on an investigation that culminated in the arrests of 35 people who were suspected of selling crack, Ecstasy, LSD and cocaine. They also seized about $200,000 worth of drugs. Bennie Maestas, resident agent in charge of Savannah's DEA office, said the city's drug-related murders, shootings, home invasions and robberies prompted the investigation -- proof that drug use is not a victimless crime. The biggest question facing the CNT and Savannah police is how the two agencies will work together. Drug investigations typically succeed, or fail, based on information and trust. Also, care must be taken so that any cases worked by the two agencies are complementary, not at cross purposes. Neighborhood activists such as Kenneth Dunham, president of the West Savannah Community Organization, probably don't care about the politics. They want results. You can't blame them. This latest partnership between police agencies, along with the county's newly organized drug court that is aimed at the demand side of the drug equation, should help. - --- MAP posted-by: Josh