POLICE SAY TOUGHER DRUG ENFORCEMENT YIELDS RESULTS

Toledo Police Chief Mike Navarre Said The Facts Are Simple: Drugs Fuel Crime.

Eliminate the drugs, he said, and crime decreases.

"The vast majority of crime is related to illicit drugs," Chief
Navarre said. "It all comes back to feeding those drug habits."

That's why in 2006, Chief Navarre and Deputy Chief Don Kenney, who
oversees the department's investigative services division, stepped up
enforcement against illegal drug trafficking.

Since then, police have increased drug search warrants, taken more
guns off the streets, and increased the number of drug-related felony
charges - all factors Chief Navarre credits for a decrease in overall crime.

Deputy Chief Kenney agreed.

"If you can control drugs, you'll hopefully be able to put a dent in
crime," he said.

In 2005, prior to the aggressive enforcement, vice narcotic
detectives served 309 search warrants. They served 444 warrants in
2006, and increased that number to 531 warrants last year, Deputy
Chief Kenney said.

During that same three-year period, the number of drug-related
charges increased from 2,076 in 2005, to 2,220 in 2006, to 2,855 last
year, according to combined statistics from the vice narcotics unit
and the metro drug task force.

While felony drug charges have steadily increased, the amount of
drugs seized from year to year hasn't followed a steady pattern.

For example, the amount of marijuana confiscated each year has
continued to increase. It has gone from 812 pounds seized in 2005 to
852 pounds the following year with 1,349 pounds of marijuana seized last year.

But the amount of other drugs seized, such as cocaine, crack, heroin,
and Ecstasy, has both increased and decreased over the last three years.

Forty-seven pounds of heroin was confiscated in 2005, but only 1.6
pounds was seized the following year. In 2007, authorities seized 1.7
pounds of heroin. Cocaine followed a similar pattern.

But Deputy Chief Kenney said a drop in the amount of drugs seized
proves increased enforcement is working.

"If the numbers decline, that's a good thing," he said. "That means
people are getting the message."

He added that long-term investigations, which often result in large
seizures of drugs, have an effect on the year-to-year amounts of
confiscated drugs.

Also as a part of increased drug enforcement, Deputy Chief Kenney
said the department reorganized so that all drug arrests go through
the vice narcotics unit.

It gives detectives an opportunity to interview anyone charged with a
drug-related offense, which can lead to more arrests, Deputy Chief Kenney said.

"One small arrest can lead to larger arrests," he said.

For Sgt. Waylond Rider, seeing the appreciation from residents after
police clean up a neighborhood is worth the hard work.

The sergeant, who has worked with the vice narcotics unit for about
three years, said a group of people in an East Toledo neighborhood
once offered detectives refreshments, and others have applauded.

"These citizens have been around for years," he said. "They have
nowhere to turn to but to police."