DEA TO ASSIST PUEBLO IN FIGHT AGAINST DRUGS

PUEBLO -- like most every other city in America - has a drug problem.

And like many other cities, Pueblo is constantly looking at ways to combat
the issue.

Community groups, schools and law enforcement agencies are constantly
seeking new and effective ways to deal with and attempt to wipe out drug
use in the community.

Now, the city will receive additional assistance in dealing with the drug
issue as it becomes part of a nationwide pilot program - Integrated Drug
Enforcement Assistance (IDEA) - offered through the Drug Enforcement
Administration.

The IDEA program, which already is in place in five communities across the
country, allows for the DEA to take one of its agents out of the field and
assign them to a select community.

The agent works with the community to form a coalition that will engage in
fighting the war against drugs.

"Pueblo is the type of community we want to bring this program to because
of the strong support we have received from the chief of police, the
chambers of commerce and other community groups," said Kenneth Miller, the
DEA's special agent assigned to work with the community.

Miller, who works out of the DEA's Colorado Springs office, will launch the
project in Pueblo with a two-day, invitation-only summit to be held in late
February. The National Crime Prevention Council also will assist in the
project.

The summit will bring together community groups and organizations as well
as law enforcement representatives to come up with a strategy to reduce
drug use in the city.

Miller, who is actively recruiting individuals to attend the summit, said
the intent is to bring together people already working on solutions to
decreasing the drug problem in Pueblo.

"The goal is to bring them all together at one time to work together as a
community to come up with solutions to try and reduce the drug problem in
Pueblo," he said.

Miller said the DEA and National Crime Prevention Council also will help
the community to apply for grants available to assist in anti-drug initiatives.

"One of the benefits of the program is that once a community comes up with
solutions, myself and the NCPC will try to find funding out there that the
city of Pueblo can apply for," he said.

Miller said Pueblo was chosen for the pilot project because of the solid
working relationship between the DEA and Pueblo Police Chief Jim Billings.

"It wasn't brought to Pueblo because the drug problem here was any worse
than others," Miller said. "Every community has a drug problem to some
degree. "

Instead, Miller said, Billings expressed an interest in the program and
Pueblo fit the model in what the DEA was looking for in pilot communities.

"Pueblo was the kind of community that met the profile we were looking
for," Miller said. "We can't bring it to a really big city. The way the
program is effective is in communities similar in size to Pueblo."

Communities that have already implemented the program are Allentown, Pa.;
North Charleston, S.C.; Portsmouth, Va.; Springfield, Mo. and
Mobile/Pritchard, Ala.

Allentown, Pa.; North Charleston, S.C.; Portsmouth, Va.; Springfield, Mo.
and Mobile/Pritchard, Ala.