Pubdate: Tue, 19 Nov 2002
Source: Garden Island (HI)
Copyright: 2002 Kauai Publishing Co.
Contact:
http://www.kauaiworld.com/kauai/letterstoeditor.nsf/webletter?openform
Website: http://kauaiworld.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/964
Author: Kendyce Manguchei
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/meth.htm (Methamphetamine)
Note: For more on ice eradication in Hawaii go to
http://www.mapinc.org/areas/Hawaii

FEDS HELPING KPD IN FIGHT AGAINST ICE 

The Kaua'i Police Department is using a new federal computer communications
system that has the power to track drug offenders and suspects throughout
the United States.

Larry Burnett, director of the Hawaii High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area
(HIDTA) program, presented a series of crime statistics related to the
increasing drug problem in Hawai'i, in particular, crystal methamphetamine -
often called "ice" or "batu." The monthly police commission meeting was held
Friday afternoon in the Historic County Building.

Burnett said the goal is to reduce drug-related crime in Hawai'i by 10
percent in two years; by 25 percent in five years. A statewide $2.5 million
grant will go toward programs to achieve that goal. The KPD is eligible for
about $90,000 for training and specific drug operations.

Burnett has 30 years of experience in federal law enforcement, including
serving as Agent in Charge of the U.S. Customs Service for Hawai'i and
Pacific U.S. Territories. 

Hawai'i ranks 43 out of 50 states in population, but is No. 6 in the country
for total crimes and No. 2 in property crimes, including burglary, larceny
and motor vehicle theft and break-ins according to the 2001 Uniform Crime
Statistics from the Crime Prevention Bureau, State Attorney General's
office. 

Burnett added that more than 90 percent of 2,300 confirmed child abuse cases
in the state last year were related to ice use. Some 44 percent of homicide
cases were also ice-related. Also, information from the U.S. Department of
Justice showed that 40 percent of all men arrested by the Honolulu Police
Department tested positive for the drug. 

The KPD's own stats showed that during the month of October, more crystal
meth was seized than cocaine, 36.7 grams to 3.3 grams. The KPD vice section
cleared all 15 cases referred during October. 

Partnership in the HIDTA is allowing more resources to flow to Kaua'i in the
fight against the drug, Freitas said.

"I think the key is a wider pool of experts available to us to put together
operations," Freitas said. 

"The mission of the Hawai'i HIDTA is to measurably reduce drug trafficking,
thereby reducing the impact of illicit drugs and increasing citizen safety
in Hawaii and other areas of the country. The Hawai'i HIDTA develops and
implements comprehensive and coordinated intelligence, interdiction,
investigative and prosecutive initiatives to deter, disrupt, dismantle and
ultimately destroy drug trafficking organizations in the state," reports the
HIDTA Web site. 

Hawai'i is one of 33 HIDTAs and United States-Mexico border partnerships in
the country. The Hawai'i HIDTA headquarters opened in 1999 in Honolulu, with
KPD as a partner since the beginning. 

Local, state and federal agencies are equal partners in each HIDTA, and
access to arrest records of suspects and undercover officers are just two
networking possibilities. Agencies of law enforcement, health and prevention
and education are all involved.

Coordinated intelligence and communications comes in through the Western
States Information Network, a computer database developed to link
participating law enforcement agencies to share information about people in
custody or drug suspects. 

One problem in current law enforcement techniques, outside of the HIDTA, is
that Kaua'i does not have a permanent federal law enforcement office. 

Current state law does not allow local police to build a case in connection
with incidents in other states without federal authority. Under this
federally-sponsored HIDTA program, the authority would be given to the
officers and members of the prosecutors office may receive federal authority
to forward criminal charges.

Assigning officers as an HIDTA representatives would possibly limit street
time with the KPD but would have far-reaching impact, according to Freitas.
Already several officers from the vice section have been trained in using
the computer software. 

"For the first time, we're really linking systems together," Freitas said.

On the Web: www.whitehousedrugpolicy.gov/hidta
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