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NEIGHBORHOOD GROUP SAYS COURTS ARE TOO EASY ON DRUG DEALERS

The Neighborhood Advisory Commission ( NAC ) was established by the Mayor and City Council of Cumberland on Nov.  18, 2003.  The commission is composed of one member from each neighborhood association recognized by the Mayor and City Council, as well as a member of the Mayor and City Council acting as an ex-officio member of the commission.  The commission serves to maintain and improve the quality of life in the city's neighborhoods by coordinating the efforts of recognized neighborhood organizations with the Mayor and City Council and the city departments.  At present our group represents Chapel Hill West Neighborhood Association, Inc., Decatur Heights Neighborhood Association, North End Watch, Rolling Mill Neighborhood Association, Inc., The South Cumberland Business and Civic Association, and Upper West Side Coalition of Active Neighbors.  Our meetings are held the third Thursday of the month at 6:30 p.m.  in the conference room of City Hall and are open to the public. 

We invite all persons interested in forming a neighborhood group within the city to attend. 

For three years our group has met to discuss and propose solutions to a variety of issues, including revitalization and marketing of the different neighborhoods of Cumberland, beautification and blight efforts, tackling tough housing problems, and working toward the creation and enhancement of programs to strengthen families and raise confident, well- adjusted youth. 

All these issues are very important, but the number-one issue that faces our community continues to be the crime and drug situation in our city and county. 

The city is making headway in tackling the drug problem and will be instituting a number of changes in the coming months including property seizure, public cameras and changes to the city code that will make life for drug dealers much harder in the city. 

Although City Hall, city police, and C3I have been very responsive to community concerns and aggressive in their actions to the drug situation, there are a number of problems with the legal system and other recent complexities that undermine these efforts: ( a ) although the drug distributors are arrested, the bonds are set so low that they are quickly released and reinserted back onto our city streets before a court decision is issued, ( b ) the court sentences issued to the arrestees, including ones who have been arrested for repeated CDS violations, are much too lenient, © as they weave in and out of the court system, these convicts regard themselves as virtually invincible because of the light sentences they receive by the courts, ( d ) recently drug dealers have been found carrying weapons, ( e ) many have been found to be involved in some way with one of the 17 identified national or local gangs in Allegany County, ( f ) as a result, many members of our community are increasingly fearful to report drug violations because of fear of retaliation, ( g ) increasingly, many people participating in the drug trade in Western Maryland are buying property in Allegany County and are conducting "foster homes" for other drug dealers from Baltimore and New York, and ( h ) there appears to be a shortage of judges in the county. 

As the NAC we feel there is a need for a new approach, including a change in court legal procedures that imposes tough new sentences on drug dealers and gangs in Maryland.  We will be meeting with the District Court Commissioner and members of our legislature soon to discuss these issues. 

If you also feel strongly about this issue, please inform yourself about the drug trade and gangs in our county.  Join or start a neighborhood group -- they build ties in the community that wouldn't be there without their support. 

Report any suspicious activity you see in your neighborhood to the Cumberland Police Department.  Contact your representatives about the problems we're facing, and exercise your right to vote for people who you believe will do the right thing when it comes to Maryland drug and gang laws.