Pubdate: Fri, 30 Mar 2001
Source: Capital Times, The  (WI)
Copyright: 2001 The Capital Times
Contact:  http://www.thecapitaltimes.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/73
Author: Jason Shepard

HEROIN OVERDOSES CALLED A PROBLEM FOR COUNTY

Heroin is rapidly becoming a problem drug in Dane County, leaders of
the Madison Police Department told the City Council during a nearly
three-hour briefing on the county's drug war.

While heroin deaths and overdoses were uncommon in the early and mid
'90s, they spiked beginning in 1999. Since Jan. 1, 1999, 14 people
have died as a result of heroin overdoses in Dane County, and 24 more
have been treated in emergency rooms as a result of overdoses,
according to police statistics.

"Heroin use has gone up dramatically," said Madison Police Lt. Bill
Housley, commander of the Dane County Narcotics and Gang Task Force.
"This drug isn't just affecting one age group or one neighborhood or
one socio-economic group. It's really a pervasive problem all across
our county."

Officials said one reason for the overdose spike is the purity of the
heroin that is now found on the streets. While in the '70s most heroin
was about 2 percent pure, it's now between 40 and 60 percent pure.

"It's pure, it's cheap and it's extremely dangerous," said Madison
Police Capt. Luis Yudice.

In response to questions from Ald. Kent Palmer, District 15, officials
said they investigate the sources of heroin in an overdose case but
don't generally arrest the user.

"To my knowledge, we are not routinely charging heroin overdose
victims," Housley said.

The briefing was prompted by Ald. Dorothy Borchardt, District 12, the
City Council president, in response to a massive drug investigation
into Jocko's, a downtown bar that was shut down last year after police
uncovered a cocaine conspiracy.

Throughout the meeting, as police executives meticulously walked the
City Council through the details of how the department combats drugs,
council members clearly struggled with issues like treatment and
rehabilitation for drug users, along with education and preventive
programs.

Ald. Judy Olson, District 6, a progressive who represents the near
east side, said she hopes the meeting sparks a re-examination of the
city's drug policies.

"It's such a complex issue that people can really get defensive
about," Olson said after the meeting. She is the sponsor of a council
resolution calling for a review of drug policies and hoped the
briefing would build support to move forward with her effort.

"But we really need a collective discussion about what we're doing,"
Olson said.

Housley told the council that people should remember the links between
drugs and violence that are sometimes missed in talks about
legalization of marijuana in particular.

In the past few years alone, Madison has seen three homicides over
what Housley called "small-time" marijuana dealing. Late Thursday
night, the alleged shooter in the homicide of Adrian Gonzalez was
convicted by a Dane County jury. In that case, the 13-year-old victim
was shot to death in his townhouse in an apparent drug robbery that
involved his older brother.

And last month, 18-year-old Kyle Hachmeister was stabbed to death in
his bedroom after a foursome of Madison teens allegedly planned to rob
him of marijuana and money.

"Drugs and violence go hand in hand," Housley said, adding that this
past week's shoot-out in the town of Madison, in which more than 50
gunshots were fired between two rival groups with gang ties, was
likely over drugs.

Housley said his task force attempts to take a systematic approach to
fighting the drug war, strategically taking on cases aimed at making a
dent in drug dealing.

"We're trying to address the broad spectrum of the drug problem in our
community," Housley said.

Housley noted that the task force recently ended several major
investigations, including the arrest of a Mexican family that
allegedly sold "hundreds and hundreds" of pounds of marijuana in Dane
County in recent years and the arrest of a 62-year-old grandmother who
allegedly masterminded a cocaine conspiracy dating back 30 years.

Other drugs police talked about included:

* Crack cocaine has seen a drop in sales in open air drug markets,
which once dominated several neighborhoods on the south side, said
Sgt. Vic Wahl.

* Methamphetamines have appeared to remain a small percentage of the
local market, unlike other mid-sized communities across the county,
although one of the largest meth labs ever busted in the Midwest was
in Oregon several years ago, Housley said.

* Ecstasy and other "club drugs" are on the rise, especially at raves
among young people, said Police Detective George Chavez. "The young
people don't understand the risks involved," Chavez said, saying that
police have arrested 64 people at raves at the Alliant Energy Center
since Aug. 12.

Yudice said the department's school educational program, which
replaced the DARE program, has been well-received in almost every
Madison school. The program is aimed at fourth- and
fifth-graders.

Ald. Sue Hamblin, District 9, a teacher, said preventive programs like
after-school options for teens are important to provide alternatives
for kids. 
- ---
MAP posted-by: Richard Lake