Pubdate: Thu, 19 Sep 2002 Source: Rutland Herald (VT) Copyright: 2002 Rutland Herald Contact: http://rutlandherald.nybor.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/892 Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/opinion.htm (Opinion) COMING TOGETHER A community forum organized by Rutland United Neighborhoods drew a sizable crowd on Wednesday night, and participants got a briefing on one of the city's most urgent problems: drugs. City police officers were there to tell residents about the police crackdown on drugs in the city, which has suffered a plague of heroin and cocaine use. The police reported that since Oct. 1, 2001, there have been 112 arrests on drug charges and $194,600 worth of drugs have been seized. The drug problem is not exactly news in Rutland. Crime associated with drug use has been a worry for several years, and recently there has been a parade of drug offenders passing through Rutland's courts. What's new is the effort by the community to gather in neighborhoods to talk about the problem. RUN's efforts at fostering a renewed community spirit in the face of dispiriting news about crime and drugs are commendable. City residents don't need to sit passively by. Residents working together with police and other officials can help ensure that Rutland remains a good place to live and work. - --- MAP posted-by: Richard Lake