DRUG SUPPLY VOID WON'T LAST LONG

While the drug raids in Barre were a triumph for law enforcement,
they are unlikely to make a significant difference in central
Vermont's drug trade. The laws of supply and demand still hold true.
In the wake of the raids, there is likely to be a short-term
disruption in supply; with demand holding steady, the price of drugs
will rise -- making Barre a more lucrative market.

Major drug crackdowns in other cities have put numerous people
behind bars and broken up criminal organizations. But the aftermath
often brings an increase in violence and crime, as other dealers and
suppliers rush to fill the vacuum in the market's structure. This
time, most of those arrested were local residents; but Barre has
just become an even more attractive place for dealers from supply
centers like Springfield and Holyoke, Mass., and New York City.

After the raids, State Police Major Thomas L'Esperance warned that
this would not solve the problem, "because once the appetite has
arrived it's going to be here." I'm glad to see that local and state
law officials are aware that their challenges are far from over.

John Walters

Montpelier