TIMELY 'WEEDING' BY GBI

AH, SPRINGTIME. It's the time of year when people with green thumbs head
outside and pull up weeds in their gardens, clearing the way for new,
healthy growth.

Revitalizing some of Savannah's older neighborhoods works the same way.
That's why the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, along with local, state and
federal authorities, deserve credit for doing some "weeding" last week of
street-level drug dealers.

At least 90 people have been arrested and charged with drug-related
offenses since last Tuesday in neighborhoods that benefit from the
federally funded Weed and Seed Program. That includes Dixon Park, Thomas
Square, Cuyler-Brownsville, East Victorian, Eastside and Metropolitan
neighborhoods, along with the Blackshear and Kayton-Frazier Homes public
housing projects.

The arrests stem from an investigation that began eight months ago, when
undercover agents started making drug buys from dealers on the streets.
They made more than 300 purchases. At best, rounding up dealers who peddle
drugs at the retail level will put only a temporary crimp in Savannah-area
drug sales, because the low-level criminals who get locked up will be
replaced by others who want to make a fast buck. However, such sweeps serve
a useful purpose.

It puts street-level dealers on notice that they aren't wanted and they are
being watched. It tells law-abiding citizens that they deserve to be able
to use their streets and sidewalks without being harassed by creeps who are
buying or selling drugs, or, in some cases, by criminals who prey on both
groups. It sends a message to the greater community that city officials are
serious about improving the quality of life in some disadvantaged areas,
which can spur home-ownership and investment.

Addressing the demand side of the drug equation, through efforts like the
county's drug court, has the most potential to curb drug-related crimes and
improve public safety over time. But it's important to attack those who
commit the most visible lawbreaking -- hoods on a street corner who act
like they own the block. Such two-legged "weeds" aren't welcome anywhere.