TACKLING DRUG PROBLEM NEEDS COMBINED EFFORT

Owensboro is a good place to live, work and raise a family. All you
have to do is ask those who have recently moved to our city or examine
our city's crime statistics to affirm our community's reputation for
being safe. But, as with all cities across our nation, we have
problems that need to be addressed by the entire community.

The single biggest driver of crime in Owensboro is illegal use and
sale of drugs. Our local drug problem places a huge demand on our
criminal justice system and has a destructive impact on family
members, friends and work associates. As long as our residents demand
the product, there will always be suppliers to provide it. Decrease
the demand, and the supplies will diminish. There is no doubt that it
is more cost-effective to educate, train and rehabilitate than to
investigate, arrest, prosecute and incarcerate.

We are fortunate in Owensboro that we have civic leaders who
understand and support local programs, such as Community Solutions for
Substance Abuse and our local Drug Court, that provide excellent
assistance by helping those involved in drugs break out of the
overwhelming vicious cycle that controls and devastates so many lives.
I support Daviess County Jailer David Osborne's efforts to develop a
rehabilitation program at the Daviess County Detention Center. The
more successful these programs become, the less of a demand will be
placed on our criminal justice system.

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration reported
in June that in 2001 more than 9 percent of children younger than 18
lived with at least one parent who abused or was dependent on alcohol
or drugs. The physical, social, intellectual and emotional development
of children whose parents are substance abusers often is significantly
impaired, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Research has shown that substance-abusing parents typically are
ill-equipped to appropriately respond to their children's emotional
and social needs. Consequently, levels of child abuse and neglect are
higher among substance-abusing parents. Parents who abuse drugs and
alcohol also tend to serve as poor role models, and children of
substance-abusing parents are at the highest risk of any children for
abusing drugs and alcohol themselves. Our officers can attest that
Owensboro experiences these problems.

In the past 36 months, the men and women of the Owensboro Police
Department have been involved in investigations that have resulted in
3,726 drug arrests, but these efforts have not substantially
diminished our drug problem. The man-hours associated with these
arrests are staggering and place a huge demand on the police
department's resources. It should be frightening to us to realize the
high number of arrests by our officers involving substance abuse and
the trafficking of controlled substances.

The Owensboro Police Department will continue its aggressive
enforcement of those who violate drug laws. We will examine every
telephone tip and every piece of information that is forwarded to us.
But the truth is that our community has a problem that law enforcement
alone cannot solve.

New and innovative approaches to educate our residents, explaining the
negative effect illegal drugs have on our community and how to become
involved to combat the problem are needed. It will take a combined
effort from every concerned resident, every facet of our population,
if we are to effect positive change.