BIOLOGIST LEAVES NO DRUG, ALCOHOL SAMPLE UNTESTED

The result of her work is almost always the same, but Lisa Savage thinks her
job is anything but dull. "It's almost like finding the pieces of a puzzle,"
she said.

Savage has been working for the past two years as a microbiologist for the
City Constable's Office in Baton Rouge, testing evidence from cases of open
container violations and misdemeanor marijuana possession.

In the past, testing evidence in such relatively minor cases was given low
priority amidst a backlog of evidence at the Louisiana State Police Crime
Lab, said Constable's Lt. John Lawton, who heads the office's Special
Projects office and oversees the testing program.

The State Police Crime Lab backup meant the Constable's Office had to issue
multiple summons for the same case, Lawton said, often to see it dropped
because the evidence was never tested.

"They were arresting a lot of people, but nothing was happening," he said.

This meant a lot of extra work for the Constable's Office, which had to
write up and serve a new summons every time a suspect showed up for a
hearing and was told evidence had yet to be tested.

Lawton said it also meant suspects often faced multiple court visits because
of delays in their trials.

"It takes time to write (summonses) and serve them. It gets frustrating when
you have to go every month for the same people," he said. "College students
move around a lot. With the population we're dealing with, it's important we
get it processed through court as soon as possible."

Besides creating extra work for deputies, people started getting the word
that minor alcohol and marijuana crimes were not being prosecuted, Lawton
said.

"Especially in college communities, you would see repeat offenders who knew
there were no consequences," he said.

"There's been so many tragedies with underage drinkers it needed to be
addressed," he added.

The Constable's Office thought of opening its own testing facility, Lawton
said, but instead decided to create a position for a microbiologist who
would work out of the State Police Crime Lab.

In April 2002, the Constable's Office hired Savage, who had worked as a
pharmacy technician before graduating from Southeastern Louisiana University
in Hammond with a bachelor's degree in microbiology and chemistry in 2001.

To clear the way for the new position, a vacant deputy slot was left
unfilled.

In addition to the extensive lab training she received, Savage is also
training to be a commissioned deputy, which she said has been much more
challenging than her scientific training.

"It gives me a greater respect for what law enforcement agents actually do
who are out there on the street," she said.

Lawton said Savage's position pays for itself through increased collection
of testing fees, which those convicted of open container and marijuana
possession crimes must pay.

Savage tests only cases that are contested, as no testing is needed when a
suspect pleads guilty.

Lawton said the new position has increased efforts to enforce alcohol and
marijuana laws and numbers released by the Constable's Office seem to back
his assertion.

In 1999, evidence from 805 marijuana cases was sent to the State Police
Crime Lab by the Baton Rouge Police Department and Constable's Office for
testing. By 2001, that number was down to 533.

In 2002, the year Savage was hired, the number of marijuana cases jumped to
1,051, though it dipped a little, to 940, in 2003.

The numbers for alcohol content testing followed a similar pattern.
Submissions went from 1,020 in 2000 to just 39 in 2001, rising steadily to
223 in 2002 and 407 the next year.

City Constable Reginald Brown Sr. said he is very pleased with the first two
years of the testing program.

"I'm very, very proud with what we've been able to do with that," he said.
"We had to give up a deputy slot but I thought it was worth it because we
looked at the scheme of things ... the laws were not enforceable."

City Police spokesman Cpl. Don Kelly said that while the stepped up testing
"doesn't affect enforcement on the street," having someone "dedicated to any
task means that task will be prioritized and completed more quickly."

"We have enforced those laws and will continue to enforce those laws," he
said. "We understand in the past there have been some problems -- it hasn't
been the highest priority -- so it's nice to have someone dedicated to it in
criminal law."

Alcohol Beverage Control Agent David Tetlou said Savage has "streamlined"
the enforcement of alcohol rules.

"For us, it's wonderful because the evidence, she handles it, he said. "It
takes a lot off of us."

When someone is arrested for an open-container violation or possession of
marijuana, the offending substance is taken as evidence and sent to a crime
lab.

If the suspect pleads "not guilty" the substance must normally be tested and
confirmed as either alcohol or marijuana to secure a conviction.

The test is almost always positive. Savage said she has tested about 2,000
cases and had maybe five tests come back negative for either alcohol or
marijuana.

While most of her testing is done for local law enforcement agencies,
Savage's services are available for any state agency as part of a
cooperative agreement between the City Constable's Office and the State
Police Crime Lab.

Using a gas chromatograph, Savage tests the molecular weight of suspected
alcoholic beverages. Alcohol has a particular weight.

For the lab to call a substance marijuana, both a microscopic test and
chemical analysis must come up positive.

Savage said she thinks her testing helps reduce drunken driving by getting
potential offenders off the street before they get behind the wheel.

"It does provide a deterrent to young people in college and people who would
drink in public parks," she said. "You have to have some sort of deterrent
to protect the public."