RILEY: DRUG POLICY

Doug Riley, the Republican candidate for county executive, is
proposing a top-to-bottom restructuring of the county's substance
abuse and treatment policies.

Riley made his announcement in a release last week and said he would
create a "Blue Ribbon Citizens Drug Committee" if he is elected on
Nov. 5.

"I want to send notice to everyone that the county is not going to be
a friendly place to use drugs," he said.

Riley said drugs "are destroying the very soul of our community,
ruining lives and causing rampant crime in our neighborhoods."

He said that 90 percent of the crime in Baltimore is driven by the
drug trade.

Riley's plan calls for the coordination of efforts by the police
department, judicial system, public schools, recreation and parks and
volunteer organizations.

He said he would also begin a nationwide search for a "drug czar" to
bring fresh leadership and perspective to his program.

The plan also calls for:

* making it easier for citizens to alert police to drug problems in
communities (but gave no specifics as to how);

* an effort to work with the judicial system to implement sentences
for both users and distributors; and

* providing additional resources to law enforcement to fight the drug
problem.

The plan does not specify how much money would be required for the
program or if other programs would be curtailed to pay for any new
initiatives.

As part of his plan, Riley said he would "drastically change" the
Office of Substance Abuse and once again make it an independent office.

Dutch Ruppersberger, the county executive, moved the office headed, by
Mike Gimbel, into the Department of Health.

Riley said he would move the Office of Substance Abuse out of the
Drumcastle Center and into one of the office suites next to the county
executive's offices in the courthouse.

Currently, the two suites next to the county executive's office are
occupied by the office of Economic Development and the county
executive's Office of Communications.

Riley said the move, which he called "symbolic," would show people
the seriousness of his commitment to the issue of substance abuse and
serve as a constant reminder to him that the problem is one of his top
priorities.

Jim Smith, Riley's Democratic opponent, called the plan "window
dressing without any teeth."

Smith pointed to his experience in working with drug-related issues as
a Circuit Court judge as the reason why "every major law enforcement
group in Baltimore County" is supporting him.

"Mr. Riley's bureaucratic interest in shuffling departments is
typical of politicians," Smith said.