OFFICIALS DIFFER ON CRACK'S PREVALENCE

BRATTLEBORO -- The arraignment this week of 10 people on charges related to
the sale of crack cocaine has given rise to questions on the prevalence of
the drug.

Officials agree that crack is a problem in the area, but differ on whether
crack is as widespread as other drugs.

"I'd almost say it's mixed 30-30-30 between heroin, cocaine, and
marijuana," said Deputy Windham County State's Attorney Nathaniel Seely, of
the drug cases he's prosecuted since joining the State's Attorney's Office
in October.

"We get a lot of marijuana cases with small amounts," he added, defining
"small" as the amount used for personal use.

"I would say (crack is) here and it's definitely something we're aware of,
but I think heroin is much more prevalent," said Vermont State Police Lt.
William Pettengill. "The drug du jour really seems to be heroin. That's
what we're seeing -- it's an explosive drug, and the cost is incredibly
cheap, until you get hooked on it. "

The Southern Vermont Drug Task Force, working with the Brattleboro Police
and the Windham County Sheriff's Departments, arrested 11 people in
Brattleboro on June 16, following an investigation into the sale of crack
in the area. On Tuesday, 10 suspects were arraigned on felony charges of
the sale of cocaine.

"We definitely have seen an increase in activity, which prompted that
investigation," said Vermont State Police Lt. Tom L'Esperance, the head of
the Vermont Drug Task Force. "It seems we've been finding more crack than
heroin lately."

"It's been around for a while, but it's been cropping up a lot in
Brattleboro the past five years," said Brattleboro Police Detective Michael
Gorman. "It's becoming the drug of choice for those who want a cheaper
alternative."

Gorman said he didn't know which drugs were more prevalent, but said that
deals more with crack problems.

The Attorney General's Office prosecutes crimes investigated by the Drug
Task Force through federally funded positions, said Assistant Attorney
General Cindy Maguire. "A year, two years ago, we saw an increase in crack
in Rutland," she said, adding that it was similar to what was happening in
Brattleboro.

The reason there are so many drug dealers in town, said Gorman, is that
people scrape together enough money to go to communities in Massachusetts
like Holyoke or Springfield, buy some drugs for personal use and come back
and sell the rest at a higher price.

"That's why Brattleboro's inundated with all these low-level drug dealers,"
he added. "We don't have one or two kingpins, we have a lot of street
urchins who see it as an easy way to make money."

A person could purchase a bundle of heroin, or 10 bags of the drug, for
$60, Gorman said. They could then turn around and sell the individual bags
for $30 each, and, even keeping five bags for themselves, would still end
up with $150.

Gorman said there are a lot of under-aged people experimenting with crack
in the area. "We're finding more and more people using it at 15 or 16 than
two to three years ago."

Pettengill speculated that the people who are buying heroin are traveling,
and thus more likely to encounter state police in places like I-91. "Crack
is more of a local problem," he added. "It's usually dealt locally and
consumed locally."

One of the differences between those who use crack and those who use heroin
is that heroin users tend to "just stay in the apartment and mellow out,"
said Gorman, while those who use crack go back out onto the street.

Heroin has a long-term effect, lasting a few hours, and makes users more
lethargic, Gorman said, while crack tends to "animate them a little bit."

L'Esperance said there are pockets throughout the state where crack is a
problem, and it's "definitely a problem in Brattleboro."

With events like the June 16 arrests, there is an effect, said L'Esperance,
but it's always short-lived. "The demand is out there still," he added.

In Brattleboro, one of the ways police hope to make a bigger dent in crack
use is to go after the owners of the apartment buildings where dealers reside.

"Some of the landlords who rent to these people add to the quality-of-life
problems," said Gorman. "They know they're drug dealers, but they let them
live there because they pay the rent.

If a property owner knows about illegal drug activity and doesn't do
something to correct the problem, the property could be seized under
federal law, Gorman indicated. He said police are currently hoping to work
with federal authorities, particularly on two properties in town.

"We're putting landlords on notice that, if you have drug dealers, we're
going to federally seize their property," said Gorman. "We're hoping it
will send a message to others to help stop this drug infestation."