Pubdate: Fri, 25 Feb 2011
Source: Bluefield Daily Telegraph (WV)
Copyright: 2011 Bluefield Daily Telegraph
Contact:  http://www.bdtonline.com
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1483
Author: Bill Archer

LAW OFFICIAL: MERCER INCLUSION IN HIDTA WOULD AID FIGHT AGAINST DRUGS

PRINCETON -- As the nation's "Drug Czar" tours West Virginia today, 
local officials hope he will be persuaded to include Mercer County in 
a regional federal organization devoted to fighting drug crimes.

Gil Kerlikowske, director of the Office of National Drug Control 
Policy will be visiting areas of southern West Virginia today. A 
letter written by U.S. Rep. Nick Rahall, D-W.Va., sent to 
Kerlikowske, asked to include Mercer County in the Appalachia High 
Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) as well as for resources to 
help Mercer County law enforcement combat drug trafficking and 
prescription drug abuse.

"The West Virginia State Police and local law enforcement authorities 
are working tirelessly to address a tremendous case load, but they 
are understaffed and lack sufficient resources," Rahall said in the 
letter. "These are hard-working, dedicated professionals who want to 
protect their communities, and already have committed much of their 
resources and energies to their drug enforcement efforts. I ask that 
you give their HIDTA petition serious consideration and provide me 
with a full report on your decision. "

Sgt. D.W. Miller, Jr., with the West Virginia State Police Princeton 
detachment, said Mercer County's inclusion in HIDTA would bring aid 
to law enforcement struggling to quash a growing drug epidemic in the area.

"Any kind of help we could get would be great," Miller said. "With 
the drug problem we have and the ever growing drug problem we have, 
any assistance we could get would be a godsend. The growing crime and 
growing major crime in our area is mainly related in some way or form 
to drugs and we have the numbers to back that up."

Rahall said Mercer County was ideal for inclusion in HIDTA since 
Interstate 77, a north-south corridor between Ohio and North 
Carolina, easily allowed the interstate transport of drugs into West 
Virginia. Miller also agreed with this sentiment.

"I-77 is just a drug corridor," Miller said. "It connects to several 
states and is just an easy way in."

Miller also agreed with the HIDTA petition's claims that 87 percent 
of crime in Mercer County related back to drugs.

"I would say that's quite a fair assessment," Miller said. 
"Percentage-wise, it's well over 85 percent relating directly or 
indirectly into drugs. I would say we see upwards of 100 drug-related 
cases a week."

Mercer County Prosecuting Attorney Scott Ash said involvement in 
HIDTA would give several benefits to the county when it comes to 
fighting drug crime.

"It would allow us to tap into federal resources and agencies such as 
the U.S. Attorney's Office," Ash said. "They have more draconian 
sentencing penalties than available within the state. It would allow 
for more innovative police and community involvement. "

Ash said drug-crime is what keeps the Mercer County Prosecuting 
Attorney's Office busy.

"I currently work with five assistant prosecutors, but if drugs and 
alcohol were magically eliminated, I could do this job alone," Ash 
said. "I could probably even do it part time. Burglaries, copper 
theft, and all crime seems to be related back to addiction."

According to Ash, synthetic morphine is currently the drug of choice 
in Mercer County.

"It costs about $30 to $40 a pill and many have built up a tolerance, 
so they take multiple pills a day to keep up with their addiction," 
Ash said. "It can end up costing addictions hundreds of dollars a 
day. If you're stoned to the gills, you can't really keep a steady 
job, so you resort to other means of getting that money. That's where 
most of our property crime comes from. There is money to be made from 
drug-trafficking."

Ash also credits the Southern Regional Drug Task Force with great 
efforts in fighting drug-related crime, but said involvement from the 
community would also help.

"We are extra lucky to have the drug task force, but they can't do it 
tall," Ash said. "If we can get this initiative passed, it would be 
great. We've got good people working on our petition and I feel like 
we're being pulled in the right direction. What we need now is 
community support for this directive. We want to help residents take 
back control of their community. We can't make a dent in this issue 
just pulling from outside resources. We need the community's help 
with this problem."

One of the organizations Rahall commended for it's efforts in 
fighting drug crime in Mercer County was the Southern Regional Drug 
and Violent Crime Task Force.

Since it's inception, the task force has identified more than 130 
drug-trading organizations, initiated around 200 investigations, and 
arrested 180 drug-related suspects in Mercer, McDowell, and Wyoming counties.

In his letter, Rahall stated inclusion in the task force would allow 
Mercer County access to federal resources and information sharing 
between local, state and federal law enforcement to reduce drug trafficking.

Rahall also cited the prescription drug abuse epidemic in southern as 
a reason why he wanted Mercer County included in HIDTA.

HIDTA was originally created to fight marijuana-related crimes as 
well as reduce drug-related violent crime. The region covered by 
Appalachia HIDTA currently includes areas of Kentucky and Tennessee 
as well as Boone, Cabell, Kanawha, Lincoln, Logan, Mason, McDowell, 
Mingo, and Wayne counties in West Virginia.
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