WESTERLY MUST REMAIN VIGILANT SUPPORTING LOCAL WAR ON DRUGS

The Westerly Police Department's progress in the fight against drugs
is outlined through the litany of arrests Police Chief Stephen Baker
noted last week. And it's impressive to hear Baker cite six arrests
for the delivery of cocaine, another for delivery of heroin, and
several others nabbed for lesser offenses within the past six months.

But the arrest Friday of another local man on delivery of heroin
charges points out that the department is still waging a local war on
drugs virtually every day and night. And while the Town Council's
approval of $40,000 within the new Westerly budget to have an
experienced detective focusing squarely on drug activity, the truth
is, the council should also keep its eyes and ears open to any other
drug-related requests, including money for an additional "K-9" unit.

While conceding the department does not have money budgeted to
purchase another drug-detecting dog in the current year, Baker raised
that issue last week, noting that such a move would enable the
department to have the use of a drug dog on each of its three shifts.
That sounds like a good idea as the town police department builds
toward a full-fledged local drug unit, which should be Westerly's goal
as it wages this never-ending battle.

There are many longtime residents, of course, who would like to think
that drugs are not a problem in Westerly-Pawcatuck. They'd like to
believe that our corner of the world is somehow pretty much isolated -
and insulated - from urban ills such as drug trading.

But several events over the past 3 1/2 years - from the massive
"Operation Stateline" drug busts to almost daily listings of drug
arrests in The Sun's police reports provide convincing evidence to the
contrary. The town's position off busy Interstate 95; its status as a
stop along the Washington-New York-Boston Amtrak line; and its
proximity to smaller urban areas such as Providence, Hartford and New
Haven - all of which seem to boast lively drug markets - make this a
well-traveled crossroads. That means Westerly and its police
department must maintain a 24-hour, 7-day-a-week vigilance.

Fighting drugs means spending money, and that's always an issue for
police, town officials and taxpayers. But Westerly's war on drugs also
can't be hindered by the bottom line. Town officials should obviously
keep close tabs on any money allocated to police, just as they must
for any other department.

Any spending requests from Baker must be viewed with a more
significant question in mind:

What's the cost of not giving financial support to this fight?