Pubdate: Fri, 13 Jun 2003
Source: Houston Chronicle (TX)
Copyright: 2003 Houston Chronicle Publishing Company Division, Hearst Newspaper
Contact:  http://www.chron.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/198
Author: Janet Elliott

OFFICIALS FEAR TASK FORCE FUNDS LOST

Galveston Among Perry's Cuts

Galveston County law enforcement officials said Friday it may be too late 
to save funding for an area narcotics task force.

The task force is one of five in the state losing federal funds, which are 
distributed by Gov. Rick Perry's office. The task force was denied funding 
after Brazoria County pulled out.

Perry in 2001 required the task forces to serve more than one county for "a 
consistent statewide approach," said Kathy Walt, a spokeswoman for Perry.

Freddie Poor, chief deputy with the Galveston County Sheriff's office, said 
that since the task force was created in 1989, authorities have arrested 
5,000 people and recovered $205 million in illegal drugs. Poor is the task 
force's project coordinator.

"We're the first line of defense on narcotics and gang activity," said 
Poor. "If the task force goes away, a lot of citizens in Galveston County 
will suffer greatly."

Poor said Galveston County officials will be meeting with their state 
lawmakers in an effort to restore funding. But Walt said that it's unlikely 
funding would be restored before the next grant application cycle, which 
begins next January.

Poor said the task force serves Galveston County as well as the communities 
of Manvel and Danbury in Brazoria County. It receives about $650,000 in 
federal funds through the Justice Department's Edward J. Byrne grant 
program, and $200,000 from participating law enforcement agencies.

Last week, the governor's office mailed notices to 13 narcotics task forces 
informing them that they were losing funding. Walt said that some of the 
letters were mistakenly sent, and that only five are losing funding because 
of compliance issues.

The regional narcotics task forces have been controversial. One of the most 
notorious cases involved the arrests of 46 Tulia residents, all but seven 
of them black, by a white undercover officer whose testimony has since been 
discredited. The remaining 14 of those defendants are scheduled to be 
released on bond Monday under the terms of a special law passed and signed 
by Perry.

Travis County Sheriff Margo Frasier disbanded the Capital Area Narcotics 
Task Force last year after a series of high-profile incidents, including 
the killing of an unarmed man who was sleeping on a sofa when the task 
force raided his cousin's home.

A report by the American Civil Liberties Union of Texas criticized the task 
forces for targeting minority communities and filling state prisons with 
nonviolent offenders. Will Harrell, executive director of the ACLU, said 
the task forces lack oversight and aren't accountable to voters.

State Rep. Terry Keel, R-Austin, tried to end funding for all 45 task 
forces. Keel, a former Travis County sheriff, said task forces across the 
state have had problems.

Poor said there have been no violations linked to the Galveston County task 
force.

Mo Ibrahim, first assistant district attorney in Galveston County, said 
he's found task force officers to be highly trained and experienced.

"In my more than a decade of experience, they've been an invaluable part of 
fighting narcotics in our county," said Ibrahim.
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