Pubdate: Fri, 11 Jan 2008 Source: Newsday (NY) Copyright: 2008 Newsday Inc. Contact: http://www.newsday.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/308 DA KATHLEEN RICE'S 'DRUG DEAL' WORTH A TRY Franklin Delano Roosevelt, a rather famous New Yorker, once said, "It is common sense to take a method and try it. If it fails, admit it frankly and try another. But above all, try something." That's good advice in the war on drugs. And it's why the bold, second-chance initiative for suspected drug dealers that Nassau District Attorney Kathleen Rice recently launched in Hempstead Village is worth a try. Yes, it's controversial. Any time you give people caught dead-to-rights dealing drugs a chance to stay out of prison, some people are going to complain. Loudly. But Rice's initiative also offers law-abiding residents in the area of Terrace Avenue and Bedell Street reason to believe that they don't have to continue living with drugs and crime. That's more important than the fate of any one drug dealer. The area is the most notorious open-air drug market in Nassau County. The trade has flourished there for decades and the rote law enforcement drill - arrest, prosecute, convict and imprison - hasn't done much to improve the situation. Hundreds of people were arrested in the area for drug offenses over a recent five-year span, and the marketplace is still open for business. It's time to frankly admit that the traditional approach hasn't worked. It's just common sense to try something different. The initiative chosen by neighborhood residents, Rice and village police, offers a deal to people who are caught selling drugs - if they have no history of violent offenses. First they're invited to a meeting where they're confronted with video evidence of their drug dealing. More important, they're confronted by area residents who want them to abandon the criminal life. The offer? Quit dealing. Stay out of trouble. Take advantage of the county's network of social services for things such as drug treatment, education, housing and job training. Change your life. Those who accept the deal avoid prosecution. Those who refuse to try and those who commit another crime go to prison. So far Rice has offered that one-time deal to 17 suspects. Will it work? A city in North Carolina where it's been tried reports promising results. And if it doesn't work here? Try something else. - --- MAP posted-by: Keith Brilhart