Pubdate: Wed, 21 Mar 2007 Source: Gary Post-Tribune, The (IN) Copyright: 2007 Post-Tribune Publishing Contact: http://www.post-trib.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/827 Author: Jon Seidel FEDS SAY DRUG WAR BATTLE IS LOCAL ISSUE GARY -- In order to vanquish the city's drug abuse troubles, one of the nation's deputy drug policy directors said Tuesday that Gary's neighborhoods must be the ones to step up. Jack Claypoole, who oversees major cities and critical areas for the White House's National Drug Control Policy office, visited Gary to share information and strategies. Lt. Sam Roberts of the Gary Police Department said the city is trying to work toward earning a set of $120,000 grants to deal with drug abuse in the city. "The grant requires the citizens of Gary to come together as a community before the federal government will intervene with monetary assistance," Roberts said. To that end, Claypoole joined city and county leaders at a luncheon at the Genesis Convention Center to talk about what needs to be done. Afterward, he said Gary has already been more successful than other communities, because all of its leaders are already on the same page. "The community's aware that they need to do more," Claypoole said. Now, he said, it is up to neighborhood groups, families and children to really embrace an anti-drug culture in Gary. That, he said, will be the challenge. "It's not that we have a one-size-fits-all solution," Claypoole said. The visit, made at the request of Gary City Hall, was helpful for Claypoole, too, he said. What he learns and hears in Gary, he said, he might be able to take with him to other communities. "I just want to see what's working and what's not," Claypoole said. - --- MAP posted-by: Beth Wehrman