Pubdate: Tue, 01 May 2012
Source: Worcester Telegram & Gazette (MA)
Copyright: 2012 Worcester Telegram & Gazette
Contact:  http://www.telegram.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/509
Note: Rarely prints LTEs from outside circulation area - requires 
'Letter to the Editor' in subject
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/af.htm (Asset Forfeiture)

DA DOLLARS

Bad Calls on Youth Sports Spending

District Attorney Joseph D. Early Jr. is stretching the rules in his 
handling of funds forfeited from drug dealers. However well-meaning 
his motives, he is out of bounds here.

Under the banner of "law enforcement," Mr. Early has been lavishing 
the forfeited funds on youth sports, last year spending more than 
$123,000 on field improvements, equipment, uniforms and the like.

Further, almost all of his largesse has landed within a single 
municipality: his home city of Worcester. Sometimes, money goes to 
programs that could probably readily pay their own way on the 
upgrades; and there have been cases of contractors who are also 
campaign contributors of Mr. Early's being hired for work such as 
tennis-court repaving.

Time out. Mr. Early should institute an approach that is strictly 
within the rules, is more hands-off on his part, and promotes support 
for drug- and crime-prevention causes beyond the arena of youth 
sports. Arts or leadership programs for at-risk youth are a 
possibility, and drug-themed efforts such as ones that try to prevent 
relapse for recovering addicts would clearly be appropriate. Also, 
the new approach should encourage that funds reach the many other 
communities in the district attorney's jurisdiction. Other district 
attorneys in Massachusetts use a formal application process. That 
model, with choices made by an independent panel, would be fairer.

Last year, the Worcester district attorney's share of forfeited funds 
was $380,870. State law requires most of the money to be spent on 
investigations and law enforcement operations, but up to 10 percent 
may go to "drug rehabilitation, drug education and other anti-drug or 
neighborhood crime watch programs which further law enforcement purposes."

Youth sports are arguably an "anti-drug" pursuit, though that's 
surely not the main aim -- and only one of many such efforts worthy 
of support. And youth sports clearly are not "law enforcement," 
despite the DA's assertion. Mr. Early, who has been in office for 
five years, last year spent nearly 33 percent of the forfeited funds 
of anti-drug pursuits -- $123,503 on youth sports, plus another $865 
on more direct efforts.

He must stick to the 10-percent rule from here on out, and spread the 
wealth around.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom