THE COCAINE EPIDEMIC: PROSECUTOR LAYS OUT CASE AGAINST COKE

Drug abuse has reached "epidemic proportions" in Sterling and Rock
Falls - splitting families, disrupting public safety, straining
government resources and hurting the bottom line of area businesses,
Whiteside County's top prosecutor warned in his annual report to the
county board.

The most common drug police encounter is cocaine, in both its powder
and "crack" forms, and the substance's effects are devastating the
community, Whiteside County State's Attorney Gary Spencer said in an
"editorial comment" attached to his report, which will be reviewed at
Wednesday's board meeting.

The year 2006 was marked by an increase in gang violence and drug
abuse, including two homicides in Rock Falls that appear to be
related to drugs, gangs or both.

While police are working hard to stem the problem, it will take a
community wide effort to combat the demand side of the problem as
"sellers of drugs would not be here except for the users," Spencer wrote.

"Law enforcement is like the little Dutch boy with his finger in the
dike against this tide of illegal drugs coming into our area. ...
Everyone in our schools, health facilities, governmental and private
agencies needs to work together to address this epidemic," he wrote.

Spencer contends attacking drug dealers has strained county
resources. Arrests are raising case loads on court services such as
his office and the probation department, and has also overtaxed the
Whiteside County jail.

In 2006, Whiteside County averaged 98 people in jail, according to
Sheriff Roger Schipper. Although the jail has 113 beds, Schipper said
with 90 inmates the jail is at capacity.

The jail is supposed to separate certain inmates, according to state
standards, such as men from women and those convicted from those not
convicted. Recently, guards have been more concerned with separating
accomplices or rival gang members.

"It has been a nightmare," Schipper said.

In Lee County, the jail also has approached its total capacity of 66
inmates in recent months.

"Our jail is just as full as Whiteside," said Sheriff John Varga.
Many of the inmates aren't in for dealing or using drugs, but for
crimes stemming from paying for drugs, such as stealing and burglary,
Varga said.

Lee County also faces a drug problem, but thanks to Dixon's smaller
size, strong community policing and other factors, the issue is less
serious, Lee County States Attorney Paul Whitcombe said. However,
Dixon and other surrounding communities have not been immune to the
cocaine epidemic just down the highway.

"The easier drugs are to get in Whiteside County the easier they are
to get over here," Whitcombe said.

Dixon police have worked to drive it away, Police Chief Gary
Coppotelli said. Dixon is not seeing the same level of drug-related
violence as Sterling and Rock Falls, he said.

In Whiteside County, many of the jail inmates are gang members from
Chicago who settled in the Twin Cities to deal drugs.

"Any given day, you can come to the jail and you will see 30 to 35
inmates with Chicago addresses," Schipper said. "They're coming out
here in droves ... And to say the least their manners aren't the greatest."

The often belligerent inmates show little respect for the correction
officers who guard them, Schipper said. The only positive Schipper
could see in the situation was some local jail "regulars," who
previously did not mind incarceration, now seem less keen on
returning to face the gang-filled cell blocks, Schipper said.

Chicago Connection

A sign hanging on the door of one office in the Sterling Police
Department reads "Operation 112 Headquarters." The sign is a nod to
the many defendants from the south side of Chicago, including 112th Street.

Gangs from Chicago, Aurora, and other urban areas are moving to the
Rock Falls and Sterling for a number of reasons, such as pressure
from Chicago police cracking down on gangs, higher drug profits from
rural communities and easy access to major highways to transport
drugs from metropolitan areas, according to Gary Olenkiewicz, special
agent for the Drug Enforcement Agency in Chicago. However, one factor
stands above the rest on why drug dealers have moved to the area - demand.

"No community is immune to drug activity," Olenkiewicz said. "If
there's a market, they're going to exploit it."

Like shrewd businessman, drug dealers see less competition in rural
markets, Schipper said. A drug dealer might only sell in four or five
city blocks in Chicago or risk violence by crossing into rival gang
territory, Schipper said. In western Illinois, from Freeport to the
Quad Cities to Sterling and Rock Falls, the gangs see open territory
with little risk of violence, Schipper said.

Crack Increase

Sterling and Rock Falls have always had a cocaine and marijuana
problem, but rising sales of crack cocaine - a smokable, cheaper and
purer version of the traditional powder cocaine - has fueled a recent
spate of violent crimes, said Sterling Detective. Sgt. Doug Fargher.

"The crack is really what has done a number to people," Fargher said.

Police had higher success making arrests when dealers from out of
town first started coming the area, Schipper said, but now many of
the dealers have adapted techniques to thwart arrest.

Many dealers won't rent or buy a place to live in the area, but will
move in with girlfriends or stay with addicts who owe them money,
police said. They also rarely use their real names, instead going by
street names. Recently gangs have even been rotating dealers in and
out of town in 30-day cycles, Schipper said, so just as police are
narrowing in on an arrest, the suspect will move back to Chicago.

"It's so prevalent in the Sterling Rock-Falls area it's scary. We
need to get the pushers locked up. They're ruining a bunch of our
kids," Schipper said.

Spencer agrees, but is also mindful that out-of-town drug dealers and
the many local men and women who have been convicted for dealing are
only one part of the issue.

"There is no hope for law enforcement to solve the problem by
itself," Spencer said. "We have to deal with the demand side."