Pubdate: Tue, 25 Nov 2003 Source: Lexington Herald-Leader (KY) Copyright: 2003 Lexington Herald-Leader Contact: http://www.kentucky.com/mld/heraldleader/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/240 Author: Bill Estep Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/walters.htm (Walters, John) REGION GETS NEW DRUG TASK FORCE AIMS Eastern, Southern Kentucky Targeted HAZARD - The first investigations should begin by mid-December under a new program aimed at attacking drug trafficking in Eastern and southern Kentucky, federal and state officials announced yesterday. Operation UNITE will target street-level drug dealers in 29 counties in Eastern and southern Kentucky. Abuse of prescription pills and other drugs has caused a tide of addiction and death, said Republican U.S. Rep. Harold "Hal" Rogers, whose 5th District includes the area. Drug abuse has driven up other crimes, stretched police and courts to the limit and overwhelmed treatment centers. "There's hardly a family in our region that is not touched in some way by illegal drugs. By death. By addiction," Rogers said. "It is a cancer eating away at us." UNITE stands for Unlawful Narcotics Investigation, Treatment and Education. As the name indicates, the program has three main components: increased investigation, treatment for addicts, and expanded education to prevent drug abuse. John P. Walters, director of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy, attended the kick-off for UNITE. He said he was not aware of another program in the country aimed at bringing together all the pieces to address drug abuse over such a large area. "This is a great day for this region," he said. Rogers said he began working to put the program together -- and get $8 million from Congress to finance it -- after reading a series of articles published earlier this year in the Herald-Leader about the region's drug problem. The newspaper reported in the "Prescription for Pain" series that Eastern Kentucky leads the nation in the amount of painkillers per capita that reach drugstores, hospitals and other legal outlets, increasing the potential for illegal diversion. The newspaper also found that medical regulators and state law hadn't kept pace with soaring abuse of prescription drugs; that police agencies are short-handed; that there is a shortage of treatment; and that there are significant disparities among state courts in dismissal rates, conviction rates and sentencing in drug cases. UNITE will address the shortage of officers by hiring a total of 33 detectives. They will work in task forces covering the Big Sandy region in far Eastern Kentucky, the Kentucky River area around Hazard, and the Cumberland Valley region, stretching from Harlan County to Wayne County. Rogers announced yesterday that Dan Smoot, who had more than 20 years experience with the Kentucky State Police before retiring last month, has been hired to direct the Kentucky River task force. Smoot said he'll begin interviews today to hire officers for that task force, and investigations should begin by Dec. 15. The Cumberland and Big Sandy task forces should be up and running early next year. Smoot said UNITE will go after street-level dealers because other agencies, such as the state police and U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, typically target mid-to upper-level dealers. Despite the best efforts of police, they often couldn't give enough attention to street-level dealers, Smoot said. And that has the potential to erode public confidence in law enforcement because those dealers are the ones people see causing problems in their communities, officials said. More than half of UNITE's funding -- $5.6 million -- will go toward law enforcement, said Karen Engle, director of the program. The program is funded for three years. Residents can be assured UNITE will respond to their concerns, said Tom Handy, former commonwealth's attorney in Laurel County and chairman of the UNITE board. "We will investigate. We will bring it to a conclusion," Handy told a crowd of several hundred people at the official kickoff for the program at The Forum in Hazard. The UNITE task forces also will investigate doctors who overprescribe pills as well as Medicaid/Medicare fraud, according to a news release. U.S. Attorney Gregory F. Van Tatenhove has separately agreed to put six prosecutors in the offices of commonwealth's attorneys in the region to help push drug cases through the courts. The six can be designated as special assistant federal prosecutors to take cases to federal court when warranted, Van Tatenhove said. Another key part of UNITE is financing to expand drug courts. Only seven of the 29 counties now have financing approved for some level of drug court, which allow abusers to choose strictly supervised rehabilitation over conventional sentencing. Officials in the other 22 counties can at least get drug courts under way with money from UNITE, Kentucky Supreme Court Chief Justice Joseph Lambert said. Rogers said he was talking with Walters, the national drug czar, about getting more money into the region for treatment. Getting resources to help addicts get clean will be "one of the biggest headaches we face," Rogers said. UNITE aims to coordinate local citizens' groups -- including faith-based groups -- to help with drug treatment, prevention and education and programs such as court-watch initiatives, and will work with educators to expand drug abuse prevention programs. - --- MAP posted-by: Josh