CRACKDOWN ON TEEN DRUGS, DRINKING URGED

Group Presses Police To Adopt Mandatory Referral

Teens who get caught with drugs or alcohol won't get any breaks if an idea
being pitched in Warren and Hamilton counties takes hold.

Under a plan called mandatory referral, instead of some police officers
sending the kids home to their parents for discipline, the youths would
automatically end up a number in the criminal justice system.

They might not be arrested and charged; that would depend on the
circumstances. But the teens would be ticketed to juvenile court to be
assessed for substance abuse and other problems, then offered counseling or
treatment.

It's a way, proponents say, to attack teen substance abuse as a way of
reducing adult crime, which is linked 80 percent to 90 percent of the time
to drug and alcohol abuse.

The uniform policy also would allow authorities, for the first time, to
track youths so their history would be known should they get in trouble later.

The initiative is being promoted by the Coalition for a Drug Free Greater
Cincinnati.

"If we can make an impact at this level, maybe we don't have to build jail
cells later on at the adult level. We need to put our assets at the
juvenile level," said Warren County Prosecutor Tim Oliver, who co-chairs
the law enforcement committee for the drug coalition.

He unveiled the proposal Thursday to about 120 school officials, counselors
and police officers in Warren County who gathered to discuss the
development of a countywide approach to attack teen substance abuse. The
half-day summit was hosted by Warren County Juvenile/Probate Judge Mike
Powell, who announced that he will start a drug court for juveniles next year.

Mr. Oliver also is urging police to implement a mandatory arrest policy for
adults who host teen parties where drugs and alcohol are present.

Those ideas got a mixed reception, especially from police, who questioned
how the mandatory referral policy would work in the event of a teen party
where dozens of youths are present. Some said it would involve too much
manpower.

"I can see a severe problem there on making mandatory arrests or taking
information from each child" to cite them, said Sgt. Jim Adams of the state
patrol's Lebanon post. "Kids scatter like cockroaches when you turn the
light on."

Mason Chief Ron Ferrell said he supports the idea. But, like others, he
questioned the logistics of large parties and expressed concern over how
such a policy would affect the public's perception of officers.

"Police departments already are accused of harassing kids," he said.

Lt. Col Richard Biehl, a Cincinnati assistant chief who co-chairs the drug
coalition's law enforcement committee with Mr. Oliver, said he's hearing
similar concerns in Hamilton County.

Only a handful of more than 40 police departments there already have
mandatory referral policies in place for possessing alcohol, he said.
Others are either taking the teens home to their parents or taking away the
alcohol and sending them on their way, he said.

"I sense a reluctance to adopt this. Some have said we don't want to go
there because we don't want to limit an officer's discretion," Lt. Biehl said.

"But very few parents, and very few law enforcement officers have the
competency to do a formal enough assessment to determine if there is a true
problem there."

Police chiefs associations in both counties have agreed to discuss the
proposal, but neither Mr. Oliver nor Lt. Col. Biehl has received any
guarantees.

Mr. Oliver is hoping they'll endorse the idea.

"Status quo is not an option," he said.