ASHTABULA DRUG COPS SUCCESSFUL, FACE CUTS

Three months ago, the Ashtabula Police Department freed up two patrolmen to
work exclusively on the drug problem in the city.

Thirty felony arrests and a laundry list of other accomplishments later,
the special unit could fall victim, not to a drug trafficker's revenge, but
to budgetary problems within the city.

The special unit was the brainchild of the police department's special
services commander, Capt. Phillip Varckette, who was serving as acting
chief at the time of its inception. It was designed to make aggressive
inroads into the drug trade.

"Since these guys started, I think there has been a sharp decrease in
activity," Varckette said. "So far, it's worked out well. They've been
pretty productive."

The statistics would bear that comment out.

The pair have made 30 felony and 25 misdemeanor arrests. They have given
out 25 traffic citations and helped conduct several drug-related searches
in the city, Varckette said.

They have seized cash, weapons, three vehicles, several pagers, some cell
phones and, of course, narcotics of all kinds.

Varckette said there are about 15 charges pending against various
individuals for felony drug trafficking as well. Some of those cases will
probably go directly to the Ashtabula County grand jury.

The officers were chosen because of their aggressiveness. They work
unstructured shifts, allowing them to operate at the height of drug
activity times throughout the city.

"There are sections which are considered high-crime areas, but this stuff
goes on all over," Varckette said.

Unlike detectives, who must decide where to focus their attention for the
day, or patrol officers, who have to answer any call that comes their way,
the two are able to focus on their main purpose - getting drugs off the
streets.

They have established a network of confidential informants, but also
continue to work undercover.

"They have been making drug buys right along," Varckette said. "I am
surprised by that because, even though they are in plain clothes, I thought
the dealers would recognize them.

"I pictured more that they would be working in the background, with their
informants making the buys."

But success may not be enough to keep these two hard-hitters on the streets.

The effort is straining the department's already-strapped budget because
the two officers were removed from the regular rotation. That means other
patrolmen are taking up the slack on the street, sometimes working overtime
to keep enough uniformed officers out there.

"I think the other officers are real supportive of this, though," Varckette
said. "It does cost the city money, but I think it is money well-spent."

"I think the effects of the unit are very helpful in what we've been trying
to accomplish," said City Manager August Pugliese. "Since this unit has
been in effect, there has been a definite decrease in (drug) operations."

Pugliese said he would like to see the special unit continue to operate,
but it depends solely on budgetary issues.

Exact figures were not available, because it would be difficult to gauge
which expenses - such as overtime for other officers - can be directly
attributed to the unit.

"We have to take a serious look at what it is costing the city," Pugliese added