Pubdate: Sat, 03 Dec 2005
Source: Beloit Daily News, The (WI)
Copyright: 2005 The Greater Beloit Publishing Company
Contact:  http://www.beloitdailynews.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1637
Author: Jen Scherer, Daily News staff writer

DRUG TEAM LOOKS FOR FUNDING

Federal Aid Loss Places Stateline Enforcement Unit In Peril

Since their drug enforcement team didn't get any federal money, local 
officials are looking into other funding possibilities.

Beloit Police Chief Sam Lathrop said the Rock County Narcotics 
Enforcement Team (RCNET), which is part of the Stateline Area 
Narcotics Team (SLANT) overseen by the Illinois State Police, will 
meet with ISP officials in January to discuss the program's future.

"If we can find alternative funding.. then I think the unit can be 
viable for at least another year," Lathrop said. "I think it's a bit 
premature to just say the unit is done with."

The county asked for over $129,000 in funding for RCNET, which is 
comprised of an officer from Beloit, one from Janesville and one from 
the Rock County Sheriff's Department. Recently, RCNET learned they 
would receive nothing.

Lathrop said they'd known the funding situation was not good, but 
they'd hoped to receive at least half of their request; no one 
expected they'd get nothing.

Rock County Sheriff Eric Runaas agreed, saying they were advised when 
they applied that funding would be there, but they were probably 
looking at a 60 percent cut, which was factored into the individual 
department budgets.

"That's enough to run the business end of it plus pay salaries of 
some of our officers involved," Runaas said. "(Getting no money) begs 
the question of how do you run your office and who (pays) the bills."

In the end, only 16 of 26 drug task forces in Wisconsin received 
federal funding, though all asked for some. Those that did receive 
money got far less than they'd asked for. Lathrop said the 26 teams 
had asked for $4.3 million and only $1.9 million was distributed.

It's not looking any better for 2007. Lathrop said indications have 
been that the $1.9 million in available funding will dip to $800,000.

"I think it's a very dire thing for Rock County," Runaas said of the 
lack of federal money. "SLANT affects not only the (sheriff's 
department) but the chief of Beloit, and the chief of Janesville. 
That is our drug fighting force."

For his part, Lathrop believes it's too soon to predict doom. He 
pointed out there's about $8,900 in the RCNET "kitty" that could be 
used toward the maintenance of the unit. If the ISP can make some 
contribution, possibly through their confiscated money funds, the 
unit could possibly be funded through 2006.

"It's premature to sound like SLANT is done," Lathrop said.

Beloit and Janesville police chiefs and the Rock County sheriff are 
members of the SLANT board of directors. ISP Lt. Jeff Patterson is 
administratively responsible for SLANT, among other metro narcotic 
enforcement teams.

"We will meet with Patterson and probably his captain the first week 
of January and we will talk about the future of SLANT as we know it," 
Lathrop said.

He said that while the potential exists for the unit to disband, it's 
not a done deal. Also, the group needs to discuss what course of 
action would be taken if the unit did disband.

SLANT is geared specifically toward drug investigations that span an 
area or region, rather than a neighborhood or city, which is the 
focus of Beloit's Drug and Gang Unit and Janesville's street crimes 
unit. These are the bigger dealers, or people actually supplying 
large quantities, Lathrop said.

"Can we still participate and work with a metro narcotics enforcement 
unit that would allow us to continue to investigate drug crimes at 
that secondary level?" Lathrop said. "If SLANT doesn't exist anymore, 
how do we get that work done? Or can we?"

Runaas agreed a lot more will be known after the January 4 meeting.

"The important part is, we haven't gotten there yet," Lathrop said. 
"It's important to start thinking in that direction in case the peril 
that we see SLANT in becomes a reality. But it's not a reality yet 
and we haven't even looked at local alternatives to see what other 
sources might be out there."

No matter what happens, Runaas wanted to assure the public the 
departments will find a way to combat the drug problem.

"We'll just be doing it from a different angle if SLANT goes away," 
Runaas said. "Regardless of the outcome of that meeting, we will 
continue to fight drugs in Rock County."
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MAP posted-by: Beth Wehrman