Pubdate: Mon, 17 Feb 2003 Source: Metrowest Daily News (MA) Copyright: 2003, MetroWest Daily News and Herald Interactive Advertising Contact: http://www.metrowestdailynews.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/619 Author: Jeff Gould DRUG MONEY: WHAT COMES AROUND GOES AROUND Drug dealers caught with cash and cars may be disappointed to learn they're financing the downfall of their comrades, but to local police departments, assets collected through seizures present a powerful windfall. Federal, state and local laws allow agencies to share in the bounty of forfeited assets. The money must be held in trust and can only be used for "legitimate law enforcement purposes" to increase or supplement existing resources. Laws governing eligible spending are wide-ranging and general, leaving local police chiefs with wide discretion. And depending on the size of the city or town, frequency and breadth of drug busts and management of the account, seizures can mean the difference between ongoing drug investigations or drug-filled streets. "I could never fund my narcotics unit properly with the budget I get," said Framingham Police Chief Steven Carl. "The majority of undercover and narcotics work comes out of the drug law enforcement funds. We have a very large budget for personnel and operations, but it does not allow for extras." Carl said he has about $80,000 in the account, but he's frugal when it comes to spending. Unlike the operational budget, the seizures account is not replenished regularly. "Maybe sometimes I'm too cautious (about spending) and I'm criticized for it, but the narcotics trade is not going away and we need to always have resources," Carl said. "A year from now if nothing's in the fund we'll have trouble doing narcotics investigations." Carl recently spent about $3,800 to update the decades-old dictation system officers use to file reports. Chiefs in MetroWest said common expenditures include surveillance equipment and narcotics training, as well as car rentals and "buy money" for undercover drug deals. Ashland Chief Roy Melnick departed from the standard this year, buying new gold and silver badges for his officers, which he also presented to selectmen and the new town manager as gifts, encased in lucite with names inscribed. He spent $6,600 on the badges to boost morale and pride, he said, leaving only $1,300 in the account. While the purchase of badges adheres to the spending requirement, some feel presenting them as gifts to town officials pushed the envelope. "I think the intent of the legislation is to enhance our ability to perform," said Natick Chief Dennis Mannix. "Clothing or something like that - -- I'm not sure that doesn't violate the spirit of it even though they have opened the door to do it." Both Melnick and Carl said new badges instill officers with pride and can increase accountability thereby enhancing law enforcement. In Natick, Mannix has about $25,000 in the account, most of which resulted from two big busts years ago. "It's not something that trickles in in small doses. Usually it's a significant asset that's seized" or nothing at all, he said. "I've hesitated to spend it because I know we may need it for some particular technological enhancement for investigations." In the past few years, Mannix has spent money on secure communications systems and equipment, he said. Cash and cars are the most common assets seized through drug busts. Melnick said the forfeiture of a $15,000 Mitsubishi is currently pending and could come through in the next month. If successful, Ashland would likely split about $10,000 with the Middlesex District Attorney's office, which is prosecuting the civil forfeiture case. Seized assets are generally shared between agencies in accordance with the level of participation in the arrest and forfeiture proceedings. Many cars involved in drug arrests aren't even worth pursuing because they're either junk or owned by third parties, such as leasing companies. "A lot (of the) cars we take down are only worth $300 to $400," Melnick said. "That's not worth the energy to seize." Another school of thought is to go for whatever possible. "I'm very seizure-oriented," said Marlborough Lt. Arthur Brodeur, who has run the city's drug department for almost 30 years. "Everybody is pretty well trained. If (a suspect) is charged with intent to distribute, you take the money, you take the car. As far as we're concerned, they bought the car or are keeping the payments on the car with drug money." Marlborough has about $20,000 in its law enforcement account, Brodeur said. He used money from the trust years ago to buy computers, making "(Marlborough) detectives the first to get PC computers." In the past 12 years, Marlborough has seized from $140,000 to $175,000, Brodeur said, most of which has been spent on investigations. Hopkinton Chief Tom Irvin said he has only $2,750 in the account. He uses it for "buy money," car rentals, drug training and fees for membership in drug task forces. (News staff writer Kristen Bradley contributed to this report.) - --- MAP posted-by: Alex