CHESTER COUNTY AUTHORITIES DIVIDED ON BEST APPROACH TO COOPERATIVELY
FIGHT DRUGS

CHESTER -- Police in Chester County Realize That Interagency
Cooperation Is Essential to Fighting Drugs.

But some agency heads disagree about how they should get along.

In the coming weeks, Sheriff Robby Benson says he'll send proposals
to the police chiefs in Fort Lawn and Great Falls, asking them to
allow their officers to work together as a drug unit with his agency.

Benson has had the same agreement with the Chester Police Department
since 2003. Essentially, Benson says, the agreement means officers
from Great Falls and Fort Lawn can work on cases outside of their
towns as part of the drug unit. The chiefs and the sheriff would
decide who heads the unit, and the agencies would divide the seized assets.

But Fort Lawn Police Chief Richard Smith and Great Falls Police
Chief Mike Revels want the county to form a multijurisdictional drug
task force, similar to the one in York County.

The key difference between Benson's plan and York County's task
force is that the task force is run through the solicitor's office.

"It's a good program," said Smith, who unsuccessfully ran for
sheriff against Benson in 2004. "Why wouldn't you do it like this?
Obviously, it's working."

But Benson says such a task force isn't feasible.

"There's no way we can do one like York County," Benson said. "York
County has the solicitor's office involved with it. They just have
more funding and more people they can work with."

Smith says the benefits of a task force are obvious. He said more
needs to be done to fight drugs in the county.

Nearly six months ago, Bill Murphy started working drug cases in
Fort Lawn. A seasoned narcotics officer with 10 years of drug
enforcement experience, Murphy has helped make 15 arrests and opened
multiple investigations since he's been in Fort Lawn.

When he started the Fort Lawn job, Murphy said, dealers weren't
feeling much heat from police.

"I'd say that there was a comfort level among the dealers that I've
seen so far because of the lack of aggressive enforcement that's
available," he said.

The city of Chester has a full-time drug officer and soon will get
another. The Chester County Sheriff's Office has a two-man drug unit
that works together with the city officer. Great Falls has a drug
dog but no narcotics officers. Fort Lawn has Murphy, whose time
is split between drug investigations and other police duties.

Murphy and Smith say the other drug officers do a great job but more
manpower is needed.

"I don't think six people would be enough," Smith said. "But it's
better than two."

Benson also takes issue with the idea that Chester County is a safe
haven for drug dealers. In the last six months, he says, his agency
has made some significant drug arrests.

"This is not your typical street buys," Benson said. "These are major cases."

Revels said many dealers that bring drugs to Great Falls live just
outside his agency's jurisdiction. A task force would allow his
agency to eliminate those problems.

"We need to put up a united front to be more successful," he said.

Revels could not be reached late Monday for comment on Benson's plan.

But Benson says his agreement would be sufficient. A task force, he
said, would mean getting full-time narcotics workers, something
agencies such as Fort Lawn can't provide.

"They've got a person that can work eight hours a week. That's it,"
Benson said. "We deal with federal agencies -- FBI, ATF -- on these
drug charges. We're looking for an agency that can produce full-time
narcotics people."

Smith says if his agency provides an officer one day a week, that's
better than none at all. And Murphy said the town council might be
willing to pay for a full-time narcotics officer on a task force if
the financial benefits can be shown.

All of the county's chiefs and the sheriff have discussed the issue.
They've watched a presentation by York County's drug task force.
Ideas have been shared but nothing has been done.

Which is why, despite the different opinions, the one thing is
everyone agrees is that something needs to happen.