POLICE PARTNERSHIP YIELDS MORE DRUG ARRESTS

From a suspected drug-dealing mother of two to a heroin operation
where a homemade bomb was found, Quakertown police and state police
have teamed up for some high-profile drug busts in Upper Bucks.

A Quakertown detective says the arrests are the fruition of increased
collaboration between his department and troopers at the Dublin
barracks. The crackdown appears poised to continue.

"Every investigation we have leads to another one and it snowballs,"
said Quakertown Detective Donald Bender, who frequently works in
conjunction with state police.

The Quakertown department's pumped-up emphasis on working in tandem
with the troopers kicked into gear in 2005 under the direction of then
new Police Chief Scott McElree.

"The chief led us to taking a more proactive approach on
collaboration," Bender said. McElree, who continues to lead the force,
is now also borough manager.

The department and the barracks have teamed up for around 30 drug
investigations since May 2005. "I'd say about 95 percent of the
investigations have ended with arrests," said Bender.

One bust that drew considerable media attention came last summer
following a four-month investigation when police raided a Front Street
apartment to break up a heroin dealing operation. Edward Hoff of
Quakertown pleaded guilty to charges stemming from the raid.

There, they seized heroin, hypodermic needles, cash and a bomb made
from a 2-liter plastic soda bottle, complete with fuse and black
powder. The apartment building was condemned following the raid.

This summer, a joint investigation led police to arrest a mother of
two for dealing heroin from her Richlandtown home. Another
investigation led to charges against two Trumbauersville residents who
allegedly sold crack cocaine from a house where they resided that was
also home to six children.

"We are always working together and lately we've been successful in
making arrests," said Sgt. Edward Murphy of state police in Dublin.

Murphy's barracks covers all or part of 13 municipalities in Upper
Bucks. Drug arrests his barracks was involved in rose nearly 75
percent from 2005 to 2006, from 30 arrests to 52. That includes
charges for suspected dealing or just possession and that number is
likely to jump again in 2007: police have made at least 46 drug
arrests so far, 10 for sales or manufacturing, 42 for possession.

The Quakertown department made 33.3 percent more drug arrests in 2006
than in 2005, climbing from 30 to 40 arrests. So far, officers have
made 25 arrests in 2007.

The rise in arrests is consistent with a state-wide increase in drug
busts. The commonwealth saw a 3.7 percent rise in arrests from 2005 to
2006, climbing from 54,458 to 56,446. Nearly 48 percent of the 2006
arrests were made in Pennsylvania's Southeast region, which includes
Bucks and Montgomery counties.

Still, police cautioned about jumping to conclusions.

"To draw from these figures that there is an increasing drug problem
in our area, well, you can't really say. A lot has to do with
increased enforcement and successful collaboration," said Murphy.

Bender agreed. "I think the problem is around the same as it's been.
We're just doing more proactive enforcement and making more arrests,"
he said.

Still, as more people settle in and pass through Upper Bucks,
officials agree there's potential for drug problems, and arrests, to
rise.

"There are a lot of drugs out there. I can only imagine this will
increase. With additional people and more traffic, we're going to have
more drug problems," said Richland Police Chief Larry Cerami.

His department and others in Upper Bucks, such as Pennridge,
collaborate with state police, too.

Pennridge, which made 40 drug arrests in 2005 and 2006 combined, made
its "largest ever" bust in 2003 during a joint investigation that led
to the raid of a Lower Rocky Dale Road home in West Rockhill that
yielded 14 pounds of marijuana and 11 pounds of cocaine.

Officers from the Richland department, which made 23 drug arrests in
2005 and 2006, were in on that raid.

Continuing such successful collaborations will prove key in combating
drugs going forward.

"Drugs are a community problem," said Murphy. "The whole community has
to work together to stop it."