Pubdate: Mon, 31 Jan 2005
Source: Asheville Citizen-Times (NC)
Copyright: 2005 Asheville Citizen-Times
Contact:  http://www.citizen-times.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/863
Author: Lindsay Nash

ASHEVILLE STEPS UP ITS OWN WAR ON DRUGS

New Focus Nets More Arrests

ASHEVILLE -- One building at a time, city police are learning where drug 
dealers live and where they sell.

Police have made more than 300 arrests in the five months since new Chief 
Bill Hogan formed a 14-officer drug suppression unit, following directions 
from City Council to cut drug crime.

Since Aug. 1, the numbers of felony drug arrests per month have increased 
33 percent, while the number of misdemeanor drug charges per month has 
increased 17 percent. Police have averaged 35 felony drug arrests per 
month, up from 26 from before Aug. 1.

Police also have won a streak of court convictions as part of an initiative 
that has officers assigned to watch over specific buildings in public 
housing developments.

"It makes my day when I see them out here, with all this junk going on 
around here," said Deaverview resident Carolyn Webber, who has an 
18-year-old son who she doesn't plan to lose to drugs. "I have no problem 
with them being out here as long as they are doing their job and not 
harassing people."

Since Aug. 1, five people were sentenced in drug-related crimes, two of 
those being habitual felons who received more than eight years in prison.

Hogan took office June 14 and started his drug suppression plan Aug. 1, 
which came after a lengthy City Council battle on how to cut drugs in 
public housing areas, where about 4,000 people live.

The move followed City Council passage last year of the Safe Neighborhoods 
Initiative, which sent money to cut crime while adding social programs such 
as tutoring for children.

The initiative includes: $250,000 for five police officers and equipment, 
$50,000 to expand community policing efforts, $50,000 for a summer youth 
program, $50,000 for an educational tutoring program and $200,000 to 
improve infrastructure in areas that could support affordable housing.

"We have to figure out who the drug dealers are, how they operate, and what 
their spear of influence is," said Asheville police Lt. Tim Splain, who is 
working with the drug suppression unit. "They are operating a criminal 
enterprise. We need to learn more about that business so we can dismantle it."

Michael Godwin, director of the Asheville Housing Authority, said that 
police are doing a good job in getting involved.

"Assigning officers to go out and talk to residents is a real positive 
effort because community policing is so important," Godwin said.

Public Housing Residents Council President Trena Boyd agreed that Hogan's 
new plan seems to be working.

"I think (Hogan) has done an excellent job in stepping up the enforcement," 
said Boyd, who lives in Livingston Apartments. With an officer assigned to 
each building in every public housing complex, Boyd said she has seen 
police a lot lately.

Asheville police pulled out of a drug investigation partnership in December 
that included two other law enforcement agencies so detectives could better 
home in on the city's crack cocaine problem.

The Metropolitan Enforcement Group had four Asheville detectives in its 
12-agent force, which has seized drugs valued at nearly $5 million in 
Asheville and Buncombe County from January through October last year.

Those four detectives are now working with the drug suppression unit. The 
benefit for the suppression team is that it is able to get through the 
arresting process much quicker, Splain said.

With the help of District Attorney Ron Moore and U.S. Attorney for the 
Western District of North Carolina Gretchen Shappert, police are also 
seeking the highest sentence possible under the law for prosecuting drug 
offenders.

The first five court cases represent the beginning of the "rest of the 
story," Asheville police public information officer John Dankel said.
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