RAY OF LIGHT IN DARK WORLD OF ADDICTION

To Berkeley police Detective Sgt. James Smit, it seemed that he was
spending much of his time arresting heroin addict Karen S.

"I arrested her every other day, it seemed like," Smit said.

But he hasn't had to arrest her once since she entered the Ocean
County Drug Court program in August 2002. Smit, a 12-year police
veteran, said he rarely sees such rewarding results as those he saw
after Karen S. - whose last name is being withheld to protect her
identity - went to drug court.

If Smit could get one image across to youngsters, it would be the
faces of their peers who died after snorting heroin just once. It
happens too often, Smit said.

"Nobody wants to see Little Johnny with a needle in his arm or
wrapped around a telephone pole, but that is what happens," Smit said.

Karen S., 46, is one of the lucky ones because she "picked up late in
life," she said, and had an opportunity afforded to a select few -
compared with the number of addicts seeking treatment - to work a
program of recovery through the Ocean County Drug Court. Karen S. is
now working for Preferred Behavioral Health, a drug rehabilitation
center in Lakewood, and is training to become a certified alcohol-
and drug-addiction counselor.

Nicole DelBuono, 35, of Dover Township wants to keep people from
using heroin because she has seen the worst of the drug. The
addiction took the life of her 22-year-old sister, Kyndall Znidarsic, she said.

DelBuono has started running a Web site containing a diary of the
family's experiences since her sister's death.

DelBuono teaches her daughter and others that she is "not going to be
offered drugs by some guy on a dark corner somewhere," she said. "It
is going to be your friend, your boyfriend; it is going to be someone
you know who gives you drugs. They just always make it seem like it
is a stranger giving you drugs. That is not realistic."

DelBuono advocates getting help for heroin addiction. She said it is
important that people learn that they must not enable an addict by
helping them make excuses for their addiction.

"Most cops would say the world would be a better place without her,
and I can't say that I didn't feel that at one time," Smit said of
Karen S. "Now, to see her hug her children and see her cleaned up and
contributing to society is just an awesome feeling."

Karen S., who will complete her drug court sentence under Gasser's
administration in December, is afraid to graduate, she said. She owes
her life to the judicial and law enforcement.

Dover Township Chief of Police Michael G. Mastronardy said he has
seen heroin addiction ruin many lives. He has seen parents mortgage
their homes to get treatment for their children, who then use the
drug again after going through rehab.

Smit said he never thought Karen S. would turn around.

"When they called for a reference on Karen, I said, "Don't even waste
your time on her,' " Smit said.

"Heroin crosses every socio-economic line we have. Karen was bad. She
got into this drug court, and I never dealt with her again in the
police department.

"I absolutely do feel a sense of pride," Smit said. "Most cops don't
get to witness first hand what I witnessed with her."