Pubdate: Mon, 17 Jul 2006
Source: Texarkana Gazette (TX)
Copyright: 2006 Texarkana Gazette
Contact:  http://www.texarkanagazette.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/976
Author: Jim Williamson
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/meth.htm (Methamphetamine)

'ICE' FLOW INCREASES, BUT CUTS DISARM DRUG WAR

As the flow of "ice" continues into Southwest Arkansas, one of the 
agencies formed to fight the war on drugs has been disarmed by 
federal budget cuts.

Now the South Central Drug Task Force has only two agents to 
investigate drug transactions in seven counties.

Authorities are seeing more of the methamphetamine called ice, which 
is a stronger form of meth and is usually manufactured in Mexico and 
then transported to the U .S.

Ninth Judicial District Deputy Prosecutor Ralph Keen informed the 
Sevier County Quorum Court Monday about the federal budget cuts and 
how they could affect the budget that funds his secretary.

The South Central Drug Task Force serves Sevier County along with 
Little River, Howard, Sevier, Pike, Hempstead, Nevada and Lafayette counties.

"He informed us of the budget cuts by the federal government and it 
would continue to slash the task forces. He has a part-time secretary 
whose salary is paid by the task force," said Sevier County Judge Dick Tallman.

Enough funds still exist to pay for the position, said the county 
judge, but it could change.

"The budget cuts have come at a bad time. We've had a rash of 
burglaries since about March and a lot of daylight burglaries," said Tallman.

He suspects the increase in burglaries has been created with the 
influx of ice and the need for money to purchase the drugs.

He suspects the increase in burglaries has been created with the 
influx of ice and the need for money to purchase the drugs.

The flow of meth has been reduced with new laws restricting the 
access of pseudoephedrine, a key ingredient in "cooking" meth. 
Tallman said the restriction of pseudoephedrine sales caused a 
reduction of meth "cooked" in homemade labs. Therefore, the market 
has increased for ice.

Prosecutor Tim Williamson of the 18th West Judicial District, who 
lives in Mena, has also seen the influx of ice.

"Ice is beginning to pour into the area across the border from 
Mexico," Williamson said, in a previous Gazette article.

As drug task forces close, knowledgeable undercover investigators 
will be unemployed.

"We will be losing people with working knowledge of drug trafficking 
in the region and who know the people in the drug business," said Williamson.

The Ninth Judicial District West Prosecutor Tom Cooper of Ashdown 
said the South Central Drug Task Force has survived through a grant 
to continue the operation obtained by U.S. Rep. Mike Ross, D-Ark.

"We were cut 80 percent, but Mike Ross helped us out and got a grant. 
Obviously things could be different next year for local task forces. 
At one point we had six officers and now we have two," said Cooper.

"I went to the Ashdown City Council a few years ago asking for the 
city to join. The state has undercover officers, but they're limited 
to 40 to 50 in the state. We need extra help combating drugs other 
than just a few officers," he said.

With the reduction in task forces, local agencies will have to 
increase training officers in drug investigation, he said.

"The more ice that is brought in, then it takes more investigation to 
make those arrest since the drug is coming in from other areas. And 
it's not just the drugs. To get the money to buy the drugs, crimes 
are committed and it lends itself to burglary and violent crimes," said Cooper.

Drug-related crime may increase as dealers realize areas have fewer 
law enforcement officers to investigate those crimes.

"People do talk in those sectors and they believe they're less likely 
to get caught," said Cooper.

In Arkansas two years ago the federal funding was $5.2 million. Last 
year, with the federal cuts, the Arkansas share was reduced to $2.8 
million which required 60 percent state match and local governments 
making up the balance.

As of July 1, Arkansas had only $1.5 million in federal money for 
drug task forces to fund 19 drug task forces, said Williamson.

He also said in the last couple of years, more than 70 percent of the 
drug cases sent to the crime lab for testing involved meth and was 
worked by the drug task forces.

"I'm not saying throwing money at the problem will cure it, but 
cutting funding to combat drugs, in my opinion, is not an effective 
way to deal with the drug problem," Cooper said.
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MAP posted-by: Beth Wehrman