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. - --- MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom