CRACK COCAINE ECLIPSES OTHER DRUGS IN W.VA. DRUG ARRESTS

Crimes involving crack cocaine eclipsed all other drug related offenses in
West Virginia between 2001 and 2002, according to a report issued by the
state Division of Criminal Justice Services.

Marijuana was the most frequently reported drug in 1999, but in 2000 crack
cocaine surpassed marijuana and has since become the most frequently
reported drug, the report said.

Crack cocaine charges increased by 59.4 percent between 2001 and 2002, with
a total of 612 arrests involving that drug. There were 301 marijuana
arrests in the same period.

The largest number of crack cocaine cases, 116, came from Berkeley County,
while Kanawha County was second with 91.

Berkeley County prosecutor Pamela Games-Neeley points to her county's
location as one reason for the large crack and powder cocaine traffic; the
jurisdiction in the state's Eastern Panhandle includes Interstate 81, a
major north-south corridor along the Eastern seaboard.

"We get people from Baltimore, the District of Columbia and New York,"
Games-Neeley said.

"We don't have too many cook houses here, but we've got the product being
delivered by transient people looking for new markets," she said. "We do
have some major quantities coming in here and people breaking it down in
this jurisdiction."

Because of the interstate nature of the drug traffic, "It is sometimes
easier to prosecute these people federally rather than trying to do it in
the state's jurisdiction," she said.

U.S. Attorney Kasey Warner of the southern district of West Virginia said
her assessment is borne out in the Narcotics Arrest Survey, which concluded
that when federal assistance was provided at any point in the case, the
percentage of arrests leading to a conviction increased by 13 percent.

"Law enforcement in general, and drug enforcement in particular, achieve
the best results when local, county state and federal law enforcement and
prosecutors pool their personnel, financial resources, skills, intelligence
and knowledge of the community and work together against criminals," Warner
said.

According to the report, other opiates accounted for 193 offenses, third
after crack cocaine and marijuana. Those opiates included prescription
drugs such as Tylox, Lortab, Percocet, Dialudid, OxyContin and morphine.
Powder cocaine was involved in 174 arrests.

According to the report, powder cocaine charges remained relatively stable
in the four years between 1999 and 2002. There were 167 offenses involving
cocaine in 1999, compared with 174 in 2002.

Offenses involving both other opiates and stimulants started increasing
between 2000 and 2001, the report said. In 2002, other opiates increased by
183.8 percent over the previous year. Stimulants also increased sharply
during this time -- up by 220 percent.

Although the greatest number of offenders were arrested in Kanawha County,
Ohio County reported the largest percentage of offenders per capita, at a
rate of 0.129 percent, or 61 offenders vs. a U.S. Census population of 47,427.

Scott R. Smith, prosecutor for Ohio County, said the problem is not
generally homegrown.

Because of Interstate 70, which crosses the Northern Panhandle county,
"Wheeling is a frequent stopping point for out-of-town drug dealers," Smith
said.

"We get people from as far away as Detroit, Cleveland, Columbus and
Pittsburgh," he said.

"They come here looking for a street corner with less competition, and they
also may be getting more money for that piece of crack cocaine here in
Wheeling than they would get on the street in Columbus," Smith said.

The most significant impact of the drug trade on most Ohio County citizens
comes in what Smith calls "quality-of-life crimes."

"These are crimes that make the quality of life in Wheeling much less
enjoyable for the residents," he said "Things like prostitution or loitering."

Crack cocaine's highly addictive nature also causes problems.

"When these people get hooked on crack and they run out of money, they're
willing to do just about anything to get that instant cash," Smith said.

"It used to be we had burglaries, where people would break into someone's
house while they were gone and grab stereos, TVs, computers, and take those
items and try to sell them.

"Now, they want that instant money and they're willing to stick a gun in
someone's face and say 'Give me all your money.' It's a much more serious
situation."

The report was based on information submitted by one statewide and 15 Drug
and Violent Crime Control Task Forces, which include local, state and
federal drug enforcement officers.

Aside from the statewide group operated by the West Virginia State Police
Bureau of Criminal Investigation, 37 of the state's 55 counties were
covered by a separate task force during 2002. The 37 counties include 83.2
percent of the state's population.

Counties without a task force include Barbour, Braxton, Calhoun, Doddridge,
Gilmer, Mason, Monroe, Pendleton, Preston, Randolph, Roane, Summers,
Taylor, Tucker, Tyler, Uphsur, Wayne and Wetzel.