LAW OFFICIAL: MERCER INCLUSION IN HIDTA WOULD AID FIGHT AGAINST DRUGS

PRINCETON -- As the nation's "Drug Czar" tours West Virginia today,
local officials hope he will be persuaded to include Mercer County in
a regional federal organization devoted to fighting drug crimes.

Gil Kerlikowske, director of the Office of National Drug Control
Policy will be visiting areas of southern West Virginia today. A
letter written by U.S. Rep. Nick Rahall, D-W.Va., sent to
Kerlikowske, asked to include Mercer County in the Appalachia High
Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) as well as for resources to
help Mercer County law enforcement combat drug trafficking and
prescription drug abuse.

"The West Virginia State Police and local law enforcement authorities
are working tirelessly to address a tremendous case load, but they
are understaffed and lack sufficient resources," Rahall said in the
letter. "These are hard-working, dedicated professionals who want to
protect their communities, and already have committed much of their
resources and energies to their drug enforcement efforts. I ask that
you give their HIDTA petition serious consideration and provide me
with a full report on your decision. "

Sgt. D.W. Miller, Jr., with the West Virginia State Police Princeton
detachment, said Mercer County's inclusion in HIDTA would bring aid
to law enforcement struggling to quash a growing drug epidemic in the area.

"Any kind of help we could get would be great," Miller said. "With
the drug problem we have and the ever growing drug problem we have,
any assistance we could get would be a godsend. The growing crime and
growing major crime in our area is mainly related in some way or form
to drugs and we have the numbers to back that up."

Rahall said Mercer County was ideal for inclusion in HIDTA since
Interstate 77, a north-south corridor between Ohio and North
Carolina, easily allowed the interstate transport of drugs into West
Virginia. Miller also agreed with this sentiment.

"I-77 is just a drug corridor," Miller said. "It connects to several
states and is just an easy way in."

Miller also agreed with the HIDTA petition's claims that 87 percent
of crime in Mercer County related back to drugs.

"I would say that's quite a fair assessment," Miller said.
"Percentage-wise, it's well over 85 percent relating directly or
indirectly into drugs. I would say we see upwards of 100 drug-related
cases a week."

Mercer County Prosecuting Attorney Scott Ash said involvement in
HIDTA would give several benefits to the county when it comes to
fighting drug crime.

"It would allow us to tap into federal resources and agencies such as
the U.S. Attorney's Office," Ash said. "They have more draconian
sentencing penalties than available within the state. It would allow
for more innovative police and community involvement. "

Ash said drug-crime is what keeps the Mercer County Prosecuting
Attorney's Office busy.

"I currently work with five assistant prosecutors, but if drugs and
alcohol were magically eliminated, I could do this job alone," Ash
said. "I could probably even do it part time. Burglaries, copper
theft, and all crime seems to be related back to addiction."

According to Ash, synthetic morphine is currently the drug of choice
in Mercer County.

"It costs about $30 to $40 a pill and many have built up a tolerance,
so they take multiple pills a day to keep up with their addiction,"
Ash said. "It can end up costing addictions hundreds of dollars a
day. If you're stoned to the gills, you can't really keep a steady
job, so you resort to other means of getting that money. That's where
most of our property crime comes from. There is money to be made from
drug-trafficking."

Ash also credits the Southern Regional Drug Task Force with great
efforts in fighting drug-related crime, but said involvement from the
community would also help.

"We are extra lucky to have the drug task force, but they can't do it
tall," Ash said. "If we can get this initiative passed, it would be
great. We've got good people working on our petition and I feel like
we're being pulled in the right direction. What we need now is
community support for this directive. We want to help residents take
back control of their community. We can't make a dent in this issue
just pulling from outside resources. We need the community's help
with this problem."

One of the organizations Rahall commended for it's efforts in
fighting drug crime in Mercer County was the Southern Regional Drug
and Violent Crime Task Force.

Since it's inception, the task force has identified more than 130
drug-trading organizations, initiated around 200 investigations, and
arrested 180 drug-related suspects in Mercer, McDowell, and Wyoming counties.

In his letter, Rahall stated inclusion in the task force would allow
Mercer County access to federal resources and information sharing
between local, state and federal law enforcement to reduce drug trafficking.

Rahall also cited the prescription drug abuse epidemic in southern as
a reason why he wanted Mercer County included in HIDTA.

HIDTA was originally created to fight marijuana-related crimes as
well as reduce drug-related violent crime. The region covered by
Appalachia HIDTA currently includes areas of Kentucky and Tennessee
as well as Boone, Cabell, Kanawha, Lincoln, Logan, Mason, McDowell,
Mingo, and Wayne counties in West Virginia.