POLICE TURN UP HEAT ON DEALERS

ASHLAND - Thursday night's arrest of two men accused of carrying $3,600
worth of Ecstasy tablets illustrates a long-standing problem in Ashland, a
town many dealers pass through to get to their nearby buyers, according to
police.

But the addition of two detectives in the past two years is helping police
combat the problem, Chief Roy Melnick said yesterday. The department's
third detective - who spends most of his time investigating drug crimes -
started in July.

"You can't stop everything overnight, but we've done a good job," he said.
"We've made Ashland a safer place. I think we've reduced the number of
drugs on the street."

They've done that by increasing the number of arrests made in town. From
1994 to 1999, the average number of drug arrests per year was 14. The drug
arrest total from July to December 2000 jumped to 42. It was 80 a year later.

Melnick expects drug arrest totals to top 100 by the end of 2002. Police
have already made more than 50, he said.

Those numbers have scared off some dealers, who now think twice before
traveling on routes 126 and 135, Melnick said.

"A lot of (dealers) won't make deals with my undercover officers anymore.
They say, 'Oh no, we can't deal in Ashland,' " he said. "That makes me
happy. I don't want them here."

When that happens, the dealer picks another town to meet in. Ashland police
will contact that town and set up a sting, which usually leads to an arrest.

"We're not looking for the glory, we're looking to reduce crime," Melnick said.

The latest arrest was made Thursday night on Union Street by a detective
working undercover. Two men from Framingham and Hopkinton were caught with
185 tabs, or 76 grams, of Ecstasy, police said.

Mark Bernatcchez, 25, of 80 Hayden Rowe in Hopkinton was behind the wheel
of a pickup truck traveling east on Union Street at 10:40 p.m. The
detective watched as it jumped the sidewalk, almost hit a telephone pole
and swerved into the westbound lane, police said.

Police found plastic bags filled with blue Ecstasy pills in Bernatcchez's
front pants pocket and on the floor of the truck's front passenger side.

Bernatcchez and his 39-year-old passenger, Ronald Margeson of 314 Union
Ave., Framingham, were arrested. They were both charged with possession of
Ecstasy with intent to distribute, possession of Ecstasy, conspiracy to
violate drug laws and possession of drugs in a school zone, police said.

Police also charged Bernatcchez with trafficking methamphetamines,
operating under the influence of alcohol and a marked lanes violation.

Bernatcchez told police he buys 100 Ecstasy tablets each week to sell to
friends for $20 apiece, according to court records. He paid $1,300 for the
185 tablets.

Both men were arraigned yesterday in Framingham District Court and innocent
pleas were entered on their behalf. Bernatcchez is being held at Middlesex
jail in Cambridge on $1,000 cash bail.

Margeson was released on $2,500 cash bail. He has prior defaults and
convictions, and is on probation on other charges.

Both men are scheduled to appear in court Oct. 25 for a pre-trial hearing.

Melnick said Ashland is a convenient meeting place and the town many must
pass through to get to their destination.

"We have our own home-grown dealers, but most of our arrests are out-
of-towners," he said. "We're a throughway between a couple of other drug
areas. I call it the 'triangle.' "

Because of the town's popularity, Melnick has asked his detectives to start
patrolling the streets at night looking for drug dealers. Some of the
detectives, Don Colbert, David Beaudoin, and the newest investigator,
Matthew Guttwill, work undercover.

Melnick had to rearrange his department when Guttwill, a former patrolman,
became a detective in July. A training officer was moved to a patrolman's
position and a sergeant had to take over training duties, leaving the
department understaffed.

"I don't have as many bodies to go around," Melnick said.

The chief hopes to change that with a matching grant from the Department of
Justice. Ashland has received preliminary approval and is now waiting to
hear whether the federal government has enough funding for the $225,000 grant.

The money would provide the department with three police officers, at
roughly $40,000 salary apiece, for three years. The town would pay for 25
percent of the cost, or about $75,000.

Cocaine may be one of the most popular drugs in the area, but Ecstasy is on
the rise, according to the federal Drug Enforcement Agency.

That fact scares Melnick and his detectives.

"The kids that are taking it don't know it causes permanent brain damage
with each use," he said.

Studies have shown that Ecstasy damages neurons that release serotonin in
the brain, which can cause permanent damage, memory loss and depression.

Ecstasy is the street name for methylendioxymethamphetamine (MDMA), and is
also known as XTC, X and Adam. It is usually ingested in its tablet form,
but can be crushed and snorted.

The drug, which sells for $20-$40 a tablet, is often sold at bars, rave
parties or underground clubs. The drug makes users feel relaxed and
emotionally close to others, and could lead to enhanced sexual performance.

When used at all-night dancing parties, or raves, the drug can cause
dehydration or heat stroke. It also causes chills, hallucinations and paranoia.