US POLICE RECLAIM THE STREETS

IN a country where drugs and guns go hand in hand, one city in the United
States has been able to regain control of its streets.

Speaking in Melbourne yesterday, US police chief Reuben Greenberg, from
Charleston in South Carolina, said crime had been virtually eliminated
through tough policing of drug activities and innovative community programs
such as housing the homeless.

"We have as many drugs in our city than any other city (on a per capita
basis), but now we have police controlling the streets instead of drug
dealers," he said.

"The drug use is still there but now we don't have the shoot-outs."

"If we control the turf there is nothing to fight over."

There are 367 Charleston police officers - that's just over 3.5 per 1000
residents. The crime rate is at an all-time low, with only five homicides a
year, while unemployment runs at only 2 per cent.

The Charleston police "Take Back the Streets" program has involved
gradually regaining small pockets of neighborhoods.

It has been run along with providing housing for all homeless people.
Rewards are also handed out for any information on illegal possession of
firearms.

Juveniles are employed by police to pick up litter and there is
anti-truancy program as well as "Operation Midnight", where unsupervised
youths are removed from streets after midnight.

But Mr Greenberg was cautious about suggesting that his policies could be
"transplanted" into the Victorian scene.

"They (Victorian police) are in a position to see what we do and see if it
fits in with the Australian laws and police practices," Mr Greenberg said.

He is due to meet Victoria Police Chief Commissioner Neil Comrie today.

Les Twentyman, from Open Family Australia, which has invited Mr Greenberg
to Australia, said the biggest hindrance to removing drugs and crime from
the streets was high youth unemployment.

Checked-by: Richard Lake