COCAINE: SAFE COMMUNITIES DRAW DRUG TRAFFICKERS

When trying to lure business to the Fox Valley, development groups
often say it's among the safest places nationwide. But the area's
security may also be attracting a different kind of entrepreneur --
the cocaine trafficker.

Authorities are arresting more dealers from outside the area --
namely Milwaukee and Chicago -- for selling powder or crack cocaine.

The Fox Valley "is a very lucrative area for these dealers to peddle
their wares," said Brad Dunlap, Wisconsin Department of Justice agent
in charge of the Lake Winnebago Metropolitan Enforcement Group (MEG)
drug unit. "It's a much safer place. You don't have to worry about
drive-by shootings, there's no turf wars, rival gangs or dealers
killing each other or assaulting each other . It's a relatively
large market for their product, and a safe market to operate in."

Investigators say drug trafficking has escalated significantly,
making cocaine the No. 1 drug threat in the Fox Valley. According to
the drug unit's 2007 threat assessment, Adult arrests went up 22
percent from 2004 to 2006. Records show there were 126 arrests in
2004, 145 in 2005 and 154 in 2006. Dunlap said the numbers are
projected to increase.

"There's a high degree of naivete of what is actually going on," he
said. "Historically, we haven't had the issues we do now."

Morgan Quitno, a company ranking America's safest and most dangerous
cities, consistently ranks the Fox Valley within the top 15 safest
metropolitan areas.

New North Inc., an association of business, chambers of commerce and
other development entities, is one organization touting the Fox
Valley's below-average crime rates to bring industry to the area. New
North's Web site shows that Fond du Lac ranked as the safest
metropolitan area nationwide in 2007, Appleton ranked fifth and
Oshkosh-Neenah ranked 12th.

However, the area's security also provides a good market for drug
trafficking, law enforcement officials said.

"We have a relatively safe community (and) unfortunately drug dealers
are aware of this," said Eric Sparr, a Winnebago County assistant
district attorney. "The community is safe for us and for the drug
dealers, too."

Steady Flow of Drug Cases in the Courts

Winnebago County judges hear cocaine-related cases every week -- all
involving charges of possession, trafficking and manufacture, or
maintaining a drug trafficking residence.

In November, a 22-year-old man from Milwaukee was charged with
selling crack cocaine in Oshkosh parking lots. An undercover
investigator bought cocaine at an Oregon Street lot and another time
at the Office Max lot on South Koeller Street before making an
arrest. In August, police arrested a 27-year-old Oshkosh man for
selling cocaine in Piggly Wiggly and Aldi parking lots, according to
court documents.

"I was really surprised at the number of cocaine cases -- it's not
something you see or hear about going on in the real world," Sparr
said. "It's just not as publicized and I'm not sure why that isit's
pretty easily accessible for the people who are looking for it."

Sparr, who handles all drug cases in Winnebago County, can't say
whether the amount of cocaine trafficking is increasing or law
enforcement is better at catching dealers and users; however, he
said, he handles more felony cocaine cases than marijuana and all
other drugs combined.

In 2005, district attorneys from Outagamie, Winnebago, Fond du Lac
and Calumet counties received 293 cocaine-related cases from the MEG
unit, and 245 in 2006. Cocaine offenses remained the highest category
for referrals both years; marijuana offenses followed in second place.

Thirteen police and sheriff departments in the four counties make up
the MEG unit, which was created to enforce drug laws and combat drug
trafficking organizations. The unit refers most cocaine arrests to
district attorneys, but sometimes police departments refer cases
after traffic stops or other crimes involving searches.

Milwaukee and Chicago continue to be the primary source of crack
cocaine and because of the Highway 41 corridor connecting the cities
with the Fox Valley, large amounts of cocaine are readily available.

Dunlap said the drug unit confiscates crack more often than powdered
cocaine because of its addictive nature. People of all ages often
sell crack to support their habit, and some sell or manufacture the
drug for a living or supplemental income.

Some crack distributors are area residents, but a significant number
of traffickers retain resident status in larger metropolitan areas.
Others relocate to the Fox Valley "and claim it's because they like
it here, but their job is to sell crack," Dunlap said.

When Dunlap came to the Fox Valley 15 years ago, crack cocaine was
hardly available.

"Crack didn't gain popularity until the late '90s. Ever since then,
it's really taken off and gained a strong foothold here," he said.

The Allure of Crack

Crack cocaine is highly addictive and inexpensive to produce and buy,
which contributes to its growth in the area. The MEG unit says one
gram of powder cocaine costs about $100, about the same as a rock of
crack cocaine, but crack can be purchased in smaller and less
expensive amounts.

Because crack is smoked, the user experiences a high in less than 10
seconds. The immediate and euphoric effect is one of the reasons
crack became enormously popular in the mid-1980s, according to the
National Institute on Drug Abuse.

"It's been roundly shown that (crack) is a more addictive form of
cocaine," Dunlap said. "About seven people out of 10 will go back to
rock versus powder. Once you make the conversion, all the impurities
are gone and you're left with a high percentage of pure cocaine.
That's the attraction; it's a much more powerful high."

Derived from powdered cocaine by a conversion process, crack is
obtainable as white or off-white rocks of various shapes and sizes.