Copyright: 2003, Syracuse Post-Standard
Contact: letters@syracuse.com
Website: http://www.syracuse.com/poststandard/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/686
Author: Michelle Breidenbach, Staff Writer

DRUG LABEL SOUGHT FOR CITIES

Locations Along Thruway Would Be Designated As A Critical Trafficking Region.

The police departments in Syracuse, Rochester, Albany and Buffalo have
asked the federal government for a distinction that typically brings
between $1 million and $3 million to fight illegal drug activity, but comes
with the unflattering label, "High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area."

U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., on Monday urged the office of U.S.
National Drug Control Policy to designate the cities along the New York
State Thruway as a critical drug-trafficking region. The Upstate cities
would join 30 other U.S. regions, mostly around the country's perimeter and
a route through the Rocky Mountains, Chicago and Ohio.

Schumer said the cities need the money to combat drug movement from New
York City and across the Canadian border.

"All you have to do is pick up the newspaper and you'll know it's a
problem," Schumer said in a telephone interview.

Mayor Matt Driscoll, who is attending the U.S. Conference of Mayors'
meeting in Denver, could not be reached for comment, his staff said.

Steve Thompson, first deputy chief for the Syracuse police department, said
the cities applied together for the designation. He could not immediately
produce the application or provide statistical evidence of illegal drug
movement along the Thruway, but he said it is happening.

"There's all types of drugs: cocaine, heroin, methamphetamines, marijuana.
I don't have an exact number for you, but we're suspicious. It's a large
quantity of drugs," he said. "Criminal investigations reveal that."

Thompson and a spokesman for the Rochester Police Department said the money
would be used to build communication among departments.

Thompson said the program's designation is not meant to embarrass cities.

"They probably could have used a different designation for it," he said.
"But we'd be happy to get any money that we can."

Sgt. Carlos Garcia, the Rochester police spokesman, said Rochester could
soon face a new route for drugs, when a proposed fast ferry is in motion
between that city and Ontario.

"It is not a stretch to think of this Western New York area as a conduit
for some of the drug dealing that's going on," Garcia

said. "Given the fact that we have the four largest communities in Upstate
New York, we want to make sure that we have as much coordination between us
as we possibly can related to this aspect."

Rochester Mayor William Johnson last week announced that the four cities
had joined in asking for the distinction. Congress created the program in
1988 with the intention of coordinating law enforcement in some of the
worst parts of the country for drug trafficking. The first five
distinctions went to Los Angeles, Houston, New York/New Jersey, South
Florida and the Southwest Border.

Now there are 26 other designated areas, most recently in Hawaii, New
England, Ohio, Oregon, Nevada and North Florida.

The program has its critics. Because it is now so widespread, the federal
Office of Management and Budget believes the program has lost its focus on
helping the worst areas, according to a report on its Web site.

Schumer said he expects to hear shortly whether the Upstate New York cities
will qualify for the designation.