27 CHARGED AS RESULT OF LENGTHY DRUG STING

Phoenixville Police Had County Help. Residents Had Been Complaining.

PHOENIXVILLE -- Twenty-seven people have been charged with selling
controlled substances, and arrest warrants have been issued for five more,
marking the end of a nine-month undercover drug investigation, authorities
said yesterday.

The operation, which began in November 1998, resulted in the largest number
of arrests for a single drug sting in the borough's history, said
Phoenixville Police Chief John M. Kalavik.

"This is a nice town, and these people add nothing to it -- absolutely
nothing," Kalavik said.

The Phoenixville Police Department, the Chester County Municipal Drug Task
Force, and the Chester County detectives participated in the investigation.

Eight people were arrested Friday night and 18 were arrested yesterday
morning on charges of selling controlled substances. Another suspect turned
himself in. Arrests of the remaining suspects are expected within the next
few days, authorities said. Most of those arrested were from Phoenixville or
the surrounding area.

Authorities seized an estimated 116 grams of cocaine and crack, or more than
a quarter-pound, through purchases made by undercover agents totaling more
than $6,000.

"This raid really addresses the quality-of-life issue," said Chester County
District Attorney Anthony Sarcione. "The people of Phoenixville can now
again enjoy the neighborhoods."

Twenty defendants were charged with multiple sales, authorities said.

District Justice Theodore Michaels set bail for those arrested from $3,500
to $50,000.

Kalavik said the sting was undertaken after complaints by borough residents.
Drug deals were happening every day in the borough, often within plain
sight, he said.

Problem areas included the north side of High Street, the area around the
Chester County Housing Authority housing project on Fairview Street, and the
business district around Bridge Street, Kalavik said.

Phoenixville, with a population of about 15,730, is a former steel town
struggling to revitalize after the closings of the Valley Forge Army
Hospital and the Phoenix Iron & Steel Co.

The Municipal Drug Task Force is funded through the Office of Attorney
General Michael Fisher and works under the authority of the Chester County
District Attorney's Office.