Pubdate: Tue, 10 Jun 2003
Source: Post-Standard, The (NY)

Copyright: 2003, Syracuse Post-Standard
Contact:  http://www.syracuse.com/poststandard/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/686
Author: Michelle Breidenbach, Staff Writer

DRUG LABEL SOUGHT FOR CITIES

Locations Along Thruway Would Be Designated As A Critical Trafficking Region.

The police departments in Syracuse, Rochester, Albany and Buffalo have 
asked the federal government for a distinction that typically brings 
between $1 million and $3 million to fight illegal drug activity, but comes 
with the unflattering label, "High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area."

U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., on Monday urged the office of U.S. 
National Drug Control Policy to designate the cities along the New York 
State Thruway as a critical drug-trafficking region. The Upstate cities 
would join 30 other U.S. regions, mostly around the country's perimeter and 
a route through the Rocky Mountains, Chicago and Ohio.

Schumer said the cities need the money to combat drug movement from New 
York City and across the Canadian border.

"All you have to do is pick up the newspaper and you'll know it's a 
problem," Schumer said in a telephone interview.

Mayor Matt Driscoll, who is attending the U.S. Conference of Mayors' 
meeting in Denver, could not be reached for comment, his staff said.

Steve Thompson, first deputy chief for the Syracuse police department, said 
the cities applied together for the designation. He could not immediately 
produce the application or provide statistical evidence of illegal drug 
movement along the Thruway, but he said it is happening.

"There's all types of drugs: cocaine, heroin, methamphetamines, marijuana. 
I don't have an exact number for you, but we're suspicious. It's a large 
quantity of drugs," he said. "Criminal investigations reveal that."

Thompson and a spokesman for the Rochester Police Department said the money 
would be used to build communication among departments.

Thompson said the program's designation is not meant to embarrass cities.

"They probably could have used a different designation for it," he said. 
"But we'd be happy to get any money that we can."

Sgt. Carlos Garcia, the Rochester police spokesman, said Rochester could 
soon face a new route for drugs, when a proposed fast ferry is in motion 
between that city and Ontario.

"It is not a stretch to think of this Western New York area as a conduit 
for some of the drug dealing that's going on," Garcia

said. "Given the fact that we have the four largest communities in Upstate 
New York, we want to make sure that we have as much coordination between us 
as we possibly can related to this aspect."

Rochester Mayor William Johnson last week announced that the four cities 
had joined in asking for the distinction. Congress created the program in 
1988 with the intention of coordinating law enforcement in some of the 
worst parts of the country for drug trafficking. The first five 
distinctions went to Los Angeles, Houston, New York/New Jersey, South 
Florida and the Southwest Border.

Now there are 26 other designated areas, most recently in Hawaii, New 
England, Ohio, Oregon, Nevada and North Florida.

The program has its critics. Because it is now so widespread, the federal 
Office of Management and Budget believes the program has lost its focus on 
helping the worst areas, according to a report on its Web site.

Schumer said he expects to hear shortly whether the Upstate New York cities 
will qualify for the designation.
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MAP posted-by: Jackl