DRUG TASK FORCE WANTS RAISE

Warren Asked For $246K

LEBANON - A year after wrangling with commissioners for operating funds,
the Warren County Drug Task Force has asked the county to nearly triple its
contribution for next year.

Saying the task force has made significant progress in an effort to shut
down mid- and upper-level drug dealers, commander John Burke has asked for
$245,975 to keep existing agents on the payroll.

He said he would like more consistent funding rather than relying on
fund-raising efforts each year to keep the task force afloat.

"I feel we have been very effective with the amount of personnel in the
time we're talking about," Mr. Burke said. "I think it can easily continue,
but we have to be able to have adequate personnel and funding."

He submitted a summary of task force activities to commissioners this week
to back up his point.

Commissioner Mike Kilburn said he hasn't reviewed the report, but he doubts
the county will pay what Mr. Burke wants.

Last year, commissioners rejected Mr. Burke's request for nearly $400,000
to fund the entire operation through 2001, saying communities that benefit
should contribute. The county ul timately paid $98,000 to match the money
Mr. Burke raised from local governments.

"My position and I think the board's position is that if all the
communities share in this effort, then they've got some ownership in the
drug task force program," Mr. Kilburn said. "The communities didn't like
the idea because it was more cost on them. But (this) is more cost on us."

This year's funding combination allowed the hiring of two full-time
investigators and a clerk. In addition, Warren County Sheriff Tom Ariss
donated a deputy for two years. Mr. Burke, whose $58,000 salary is paid
annually through a grant, secured another grant to pay for a fourth
detective through Dec. 31,.

So far, the four agents have secured felony indictments against 98 people,
Mr. Burke said.

The task force also completed several major investigations that shut down
methamphetamine labs and long-time cocaine or marijuana trafficking
operations in Franklin, Lebanon, South Lebanon and Deerfield Township, Mr.
Burke noted.

Most of the activity occurred since June when the task force staff began
operating at full strength, he said.

That staffing level has allowed the task force to wage an attack on drug
traffickers in Warren County, said Prosecutor Tim Oliver, a member of the
task force's policy board.

Before Mr. Burke's hiring in late 1999, the drug squad used officers on
loan from local police agencies for specific operations and had a history
of arresting low-level dealers and users.