CRIME FIGHTING WITHOUT LICENSE

The arrest of more than 800 people across the state for alleged drug
dealing is good news for law-abiding citizens. It's good news because it
strikes at the drug manufacture and distribution networks that are
devastating lives in our communities every day. And it's good news because
it demonstrates a healthy willingness of law enforcement agencies to work
together to strike at the drug trade.

We cannot help but find curious, though, the prominent presence of the
state attorney general, Richard Ieyoub, at the announcement of the arrests.

"We're sending them a message we're going to run them out of the state of
Louisiana. We're going to arrest them, and we're going to prosecute them,"
Ieyoub said.

If by "we" Ieyoub is referring to himself, he is perpetuating an incorrect
notion of his office as a constitutionally designated crime fighter.

The framers of the 1974 constitution rejected broad criminal jurisdiction
for the attorney general, who has vast authorized duties in the areas of
civil law for the government. Except in certain specific areas, he is not
authorized to initiate a criminal prosecution unless asked to do so by the
local district attorney.

It is a division of labor intended to focus the attorney general on areas
where he does not duplicate the effort of criminal justice authorities.
Where he has criminal jurisdiction, it is in white-collar crime, such as
Medicaid fraud and consumer protection.

Unfortunately, Ieyoub has not confined himself to his listed duties. A
former district attorney in Calcasieu Parish, he campaigned for office with
dramatic commercials about fighting crime, slamming prison doors and
otherwise pretending to a role in criminal justice.

Thrice elected attorney general, Ieyoub has stressed expanding the scope of
operations in the criminal division of the Attorney General's Office.
Ieyoub said the programs are necessary, and provide vital assistance to
local jurisdictions that frequently call for state aid in complex cases.

One of the most successful and popular programs, he said, is the computer
crime unit, which provides local law enforcement and prosecutors with
expertise in tracking child pornographers, or recovering data from computer
disks.

For an elected official, the justification for these programs is
popularity. Street-crime themes may have elected Ieyoub, but that's not the
job that the attorney general ought to focus upon. Ieyoub is frequently
mentioned as a likely candidate for governor next year, but his appearance
with the Sheriff's Association drug task force announcement cannot be
called an unusual bid for publicity: He's done this sort of thing all along.

If Ieyoub opts to run for governor, we hope candidates for his job will
focus on what its role actually is.