ADULT DRUG USE ALARMS POLICE OFFICIAL

Deputy Police Chief Leon Schenck sees the use of narcotics by adults ages
35 and under as one of the most significant crime problems in Huntsville.

"It's also the collateral crimes behind it, the thefts and burglaries.
Those who are using narcotics are feeding their habit by stealing," said
Schenck, speaking to the Huntsville Press Club on Wednesday. The efforts of
Huntsville police "will be redoubled to try to eradicate narcotics from the
streets of Huntsville."

Illegal drug use is everywhere. In the poorest areas of the city, crack
cocaine, methamphetamine and marijuana are prevalent, he said. In the more
affluent sections of the city, the usual drugs of choice are
methamphetamine, marijuana and GHB, better known as a date-rape drug.

It will take community involvement, Schenck said, to reduce the drug problem.

"The police cannot eradicate crime in the city," he said. "It will take
everyone working together to get a handle on crime."

The recent move to a precinct system and decentralization of the
department, he said, should help officers form closer relationships with
the residents they serve.

Schenck became the department's first deputy chief in January after
retiring from the FBI. He told press club members and guests that he was
unaware of the political and historical significance of his appointment
when he accepted the job.

"I was under the impression, and still think it's a fact, that I was hired
because of my qualifications," he said. "Once I got here, I wondered why so
much emphasis was being placed on me. There are black chiefs and deputy
chiefs all over the country."

Then he learned of the 40 black officers in the department and that only
one holds a ranked position as an investigator. There are no other black
officers in ranked positions.

"These black officers, many of them, have master's degrees. One is about to
get a law degree, but they have not moved up the hierarchy of the Police
Department," he said. "One reason is that people have not studied for the
exam. I don't know why."

In addition to the testing, he said, the department's rank structure is
based on seniority, not the duty or job performance of an officer. He said
he hopes to be part of a change in promotional procedures where longevity
will be considered, but will not be the determining factor.