Pubdate: Sat, 29 Oct 2005 Source: News & Observer (Raleigh, NC) Copyright: 2005 The News and Observer Publishing Company Contact: https://miva.nando.com/contact_us/letter_editor.html Website: http://www.news-observer.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/304 Author: Caleb Southern, Partners Against Crime BEATING ILLEGAL DRUGS Durham has had a great run with our "City of Medicine" motto. But it may be time for a new slogan. My suggestion: "City of Drugs." This would present a much more accurate picture of the Bull City, considering: . Our history as the world's leader in tobacco manufacturing. . Our prominence in the global pharmaceutical industry. . Duke Medical Center and RTP . Our dominance as a center of crack and other illegal drugs. Durham is a major stop on the Interstate 85 drug trafficking corridor. Apparently we also have a very successful local retail presence in this industry. Many thousands of dollars worth of drugs are sold every day in Durham, according to Capt. Paul Martin of the Durham County Sheriff's Department. Kudos to the police for their announcement of a year-long operation that netted $211,000 of crack (news story, Oct. 25), but unfortunately this is just a drop in the bucket. Our drug problem fuels every aspect of crime, from gangs and murder all the way down to car, home and business break-ins and crackhead panhandlers -- issues that plague and demoralize the overwhelming majority of people I know in Durham every day. Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani was able to reverse 40 years of blight there in just a few short years. I challenge Mayor Bill Bell to prove he still has the goods to lead us here in Durham. If re-elected, what exactly is Bell's plan to turn our great city around? Caleb Southern Durham (The writer is a member of Partners Against Crime.) - --- MAP posted-by: Larry Seguin