DRUG RAIDS

To The Editor;

A dent in the North Country's narcotics trafficking? More like a dent in
the pocket of North Country tax payer's pockets? Editorial, Tue 19 Jun
2001, Drug Task Force.

41 offenders rounded up. Total seizures 0.5 pounds Hashish, 0.25 Marijuana,
and $850 cash, (OJ 6/01 Ogdensburg Journal) Hardly dealer classification.
13 agencies, year long investigation. Cost to tax payers must be close to
$100,000 to seize $2,500 in drugs. Still yet, the cost of prosecuting the
41 personal users. Don't forget the 26 inmates boarded out at $1500 per
day. Why did tax payers have to furnish $20,000 buy money? On just 3 dates,
1/19/00, 2/15/00, and 3/8/00 there was $23,982 taken in on forfeitures and
restitution's for DTF.

Was there ever a dent in drug use in St. Law Co?

(OJ 19 Sept 1995). 26,000 Marijuana plants seized in 1993. 38,000 Marijuana
plants seized in 1994. Legislature meeting, Canton NY, more budget money
needed for DTF budget. Large demand is because of the colleges. One
problem, most if not all, the collage students would be DARE graduates?

(OJ 2 June 1996). 80,000 Marijuana plants seized in 1995. $120 million
worth. Again Legislature meeting, Canton NY, Need increase in DTF budget.
Two interesting quotes at meeting, "Marijuana County's biggest cash crop".
" 1996 won't bring in as many plants as 1995".

(OJ 14 Jan. 1997) 105,000 Marijuana plants seized in 1996. Again
Legislature meeting, Canton NY, Need increase in DTF budget. More money is
needed because " cocaine, heroin, hashish, and hallucinogenic mushrooms are
in County". " Cut supply, prices will go up and less sales". As we see with
the oil companies, supply down, prices up so is record profits. Same with
prohibition!

1997 and 1998 request for bigger budget and new jail didn't do very good.
Break for the tax payers.

(OJ 3/99) Sweep nets 32. ( Editorial claims "our jails are not full of low
level drug dealers and most addicts are given the opportunity to obtain
treatment for their addictions".( OJ 8/99) 22 0f the 32 did time in jail or
prison. ( OJ 15 June 2000) Probation Director Francine M. Perretta "
Non-violent drug crimes are required by the State to serve jail or prison
time, are not eligible for Electronic Home Monitoring"

(OJ 19 Sept 99) $40 million worth marijuana plants seized so far this year.
DTF "Need more money".

(OJ 23 Oct 99) DTF needs more money. " Cocaine major problem".

(OJ 28 Nov 99) DTF needs more money. "Seizures since May 99 were: 635 grams
marijuana, ( Where did the $40 million go)? 167 grams cocaine, 124 grams
crack, 124 grams LSD, and 76 pills". These high gram figures work out to
combined total of less than 2 pounds!

Just think of the budget surplus St. Law Co would have now, if marijuana
was regulated and taxed since 1993. As I looked back over these articles I
felt the war on marijuana pushed society into 'hard drugs'.

Larry Seguin Lisbon, New York