Pubdate: Tue, 26 Dec 2006
Source: Times Argus (Barre, VT)
Copyright: 2006 Times Argus
Contact:  http://www.timesargus.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/893

DRUG SUPPLY VOID WON'T LAST LONG

While the drug raids in Barre were a triumph for law  enforcement, 
they are unlikely to make a significant  difference in central 
Vermont's drug trade. The laws of  supply and demand still hold true. 
In the wake of the  raids, there is likely to be a short-term 
disruption in  supply; with demand holding steady, the price of drugs 
will rise -- making Barre a more lucrative market.

Major drug crackdowns in other cities have put numerous  people 
behind bars and broken up criminal  organizations. But the aftermath 
often brings an  increase in violence and crime, as other dealers and 
suppliers rush to fill the vacuum in the market's  structure. This 
time, most of those arrested were local  residents; but Barre has 
just become an even more  attractive place for dealers from supply 
centers like  Springfield and Holyoke, Mass., and New York City.

After the raids, State Police Major Thomas L'Esperance  warned that 
this would not solve the problem, "because  once the appetite has 
arrived it's going to be here."  I'm glad to see that local and state 
law officials are  aware that their challenges are far from over.

John Walters

Montpelier
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