Pubdate: Sun, 16 Jul 2006
Source: Times, The  (Munster IN)
Copyright: 2006 The Munster Times
Contact:  http://www.nwitimes.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/832
Author: Lauri Harvey Keagle
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/heroin.htm (Heroin)

DRUG TASK FORCE FUNDING DWINDLING

HEROIN: Lake County may soon feel financial woes of Porter County unit.

The funding for the Lake County Drug Task Force is 12 times that of 
the Porter County Drug Task Force, but those dollars are expected to 
be gone by 2008.

Commander Zon Haralovich, who heads the Lake County group, said the 
problems the task forces are addressing are different. Lake County's 
biggest drug problems come from marijuana and cocaine, while Porter 
County is seeing a deadly problem with heroin and other opiates. 
Still, Haralovich said he is concerned about his counterpart in 
Porter County, Robert Taylor, who is trying to tackle the problem 
with scarce resources.

"I feel for the guy, because his hands are really tied," Haralovich said.

Compared to the Porter County Drug Task Force -- which has an annual 
budget of just $44,000, has never applied for federal grant 
assistance and has a staff of four -- Haralovich's six-officer staff 
has a budget of $543,000, paid for almost exclusively by a grant from 
the U.S. Department of Justice.

But those funds are being shifted to homeland security efforts at the 
federal level, and Haralovich said he fears he'll soon be feeling 
Taylor's funding pains.

As of Oct. 1, the task force's share will be reduced to $293,000. By 
April 1, 2007, the funding will take another hit, down to $157,000.

By 2008, the federal funds are expected to be gone all together, 
leaving the task force with just $10,000 from the county, which is 
what they have now to use for drug buys.

The Lake County High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area and the U.S. 
Drug Enforcement Administration work on the larger busts, Haralovich 
said, but when the money is gone for the street-level enforcement, 
he's not sure what will happen.

Haralovich said some people wrongly think the drug problems in the 
county don't affect them and don't support the need for more funding 
for the various agencies.

"With the heroin guy, once they're high, they're a little passed out 
laying there doing their thing, but eventually, the itch starts and 
they get that craving, like a vampire, and they have to eat again," he said.

"Whatever they can get their hands on that has any value, they'll 
trade it off to get their fix.

"That's when you get the smash-and-grabs, retail thefts, residential 
thefts from people who are going to trade the items they get for 
dope," Haralovich said.

"The violent crimes start coming in, too, just to get the money to 
feed their habit.

"Who do you think it is knocking down Grandma at the grocery store 
and stealing her purse or busting the windows out on your car at the 
mall to get your change? Trust me, it hits home real quick when it 
happens to you."
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