BIG ISLE COUNCIL TO CONSIDER FEDERAL GRANT FOR DRUG RAIDS

Hilo, Ha wai'i - The Big Island's long-standing debate over marijuana
eradication continues today when the County Council's Finance Committee
considers a proposed $55,000 federal grant to help police conduct more raids.

Council acceptance is required before the Police Department can legally
accept the help.

The county has received various grants annually to help pay for the raids,
which have raised heated debate from Puna and Ka'u residents. They have
contended that the raids are an assault on civil rights, disrupt livestock
operations and increase the use of harder drugs because the seizures make
marijuana too expensive to use.

The theory is that users turn to black tar heroin or crack cocaine instead.

The council last week received a county auditor's report on the police use
of the money. The report stated that the missions are meeting their goals,
although there is some conflict over how police count the plants they seize.

Six council members are now the subject of an impeachment petition
organized by some residents opposed to continuing the grants without more
scrutiny over the raids. Mayor Steve Yamashiro also is targeted by the
petition organizers, led by Roger Christie of Puna.

Each grant approval meeting since 1994 has attracted increasingly larger
crowds, who have asserted police abuse of the program. Those charges have
been denied by authorities.

The current request is expected to be recommended for approval. The grant
would raise the year's federal support to $255,500.

The county is obligated to contribute 25 percent to the raids' cost.
Critics have charged that money could be better spent on controlling harder
drugs and encouraging rehabilitation.