HEROIN IN CENTRAL VERMONT

MONTPELIER ­ Three years ago, the capital city rallied to concerns about
teens "hanging out" outside City Center on Main Street.

The fact that they were congregating outside an icon of American youth
culture, the (Ben and Jerry's) ice cream parlor, seemed lost on most
people. They were more concerned about teens who were rude and obnoxious to
passers by.

Efforts to address the problem included the police receiving a federal
grant to fund a survey of teens and downtown businesses and hold a
community meeting, and greater law enforcement.

In the end, the City Center management found a way to move them on. City
Center is private property, and teens were told they could not congregate
there.

Around the same time, there was mention of the H word: heroin. There were
already reports that a new cheap, pure version of the drug had reached
Vermont. Its purity meant it could be "snorted" (sniffed) instead of
injected, eliminating the stigmatism of being a "junkie" that many young
people had associated with the drug. Its low cost, at about $35 a bag, also
made it readily available.

In the three months that followed, Montpelier police said they arrested
some 25 people on drug-related charges that included large seizures of
heroin, cocaine and marijuana.

They included Devan Conoscenti and Megan Wolfe of Plainfield who were
busted with 100 grams of heroin, more than an ounce of marijuana,
quantities of methadone and morphine, and six handguns.

With the high-profile death of Burlington teen Christal Jean Jones in
August 2001, who was lured to New York City and reportedly forced into
prostitution to fund her heroin habit (although she actually died from
asphyxiation), it marked the beginning of aggressive law enforcement by the
Vermont Drug Task Force to combat a growing heroin problem in the state.

The Scene In Montpelier

Back in Montpelier, the problem of youth congregating has moved down to
State Street, along the Rialto Bridge, and outside Capitol Grounds coffee
house, where owner Bob Watson complains frequently about teens hogging his
outdoor coffee tables, doing drug deals in his bathrooms and driving away
customers.

Neighbor Glen Sturgis of Mail Boxes, Etc. has had similar problems with
teens blocking the steps leading into his business.

The problem returned for both this spring and summer, and also spread
across the street, where teens continue to gather around the tourist
information center that has been vandalized.

Watson has been the most vocal critic of the activity, saying the police
are not doing enough to combat the problem that scares off tourists from
the information center and is affecting his business in tough economic times.

"I've called the police many times, although I've never called for a drug
disturbance," he said. "There have been many times when I've wanted to
call, but my perception is that I'm being a pain.

"I've witnessed fighting when some kids were sitting at the tables outside,
and they started pushing and shoving. I was also sitting with a friend at
the window looking out on to Elm Street and witnessed what I'm sure was a
drug deal. Someone pulled up in a car and someone went over, and there was
an exchange of some sort and then the car drove away.

"The police have told me that they're devoting more energy and resources to
the problem down here. My problem is that it's going on, and I know it's
going on. But it's not my job to deal with it… it's their job. This problem
is parents' responsibility. I would say to them that if your kids are down
here, chances are they're going to come home with a problem because they
are involved with drugs."

Sturgis said he is similarly affected by young people sitting on his steps,
smoking and leaving trash, although he said the it is less of a problem
this year than last.

"There's a problem when there's a perception of a crowd or a gang," he
said. "The image that it gives to the downtown concerns me. On the plus
side for the police, they've been a lot more visible. I see them out there
on bicycles and around a lot more. That helps, having the physical presence
of the police," he added.

Across the street at Julio's, where diners can watch the drug trade, owner
Jane Edwards said she did not believe it had affected her business. She
said she had taken a proactive approach, giving work to some teens that
were in recovery, and calling the parents of teens she recognizes caught up
in drug activity.

"My business is secondary to the health and welfare of our community," said
Edwards. "Our community isn't healthy. There is a part of our community in
town that is sick. We need to talk to kids, and talk to each other about
the problem," she added.

The Pocket Park

Christ Church pastor, the Rev. David Hall -- who moved from Washington,
D.C. to Montpelier because of drug problems in his community -- said his
parish staff has talked about the problem, but were not sure what to do
about it.

In addition to drug activity under the trees bordering the pocket park, he
said a small playground on the other side of the church is frequently used
for drug-taking and sex. Several people in the community have expressed
concern at the number of young girls mixing with drug users and trading sex
for drugs.

"We would find used condoms, needles and panties in that playground," said
Hall.

He said the church plans to remove the fence around it and turn in into a
garden to open up the space and make it less attractive to drug users.

"One of the things we talked about was doing outreach to these kids and how
we could be helpful to them," he said. "Some of them need food. We give
them clothing and household goods that people in the community donate. The
thing that bothers us the most is the vandalism… the way they treat the
property. But where do these kids go? Not all the kids out there are doing
heroin. It's a really tough problem, and there are no easy answers."

What About The Police?

Montpelier Police Chief Doug Hoyt bristles at Watson's claims that the
police are not doing enough to combat drug crimes. He noted that the only
call from Watson in the last six months was to report a fight outside
Capitol Grounds.

"If he witnessed a drug deal, did he call us?" he asked. "We spend an
inordinate amount of time down there at the information center with
patrols, at the expense of other areas of the city. We have residents
calling us about speeders in their neighborhood. Do we go after the
speeders, or the drug dealers? It (drugs) is here, and given all the
situations that we're dealing with, we're doing the best we can."

Hoyt and Sgt. Tony Facos, who patrols the area, said teens have become more
brazen and aggressive in their drug activity.

"I've talked to people down there, searched cars, and have told them this
is a bad area to be hanging out," said Facos. "They're starting to
challenge us."

Hoyt said the Montpelier and Barre police departments had jointly filed a
grant application for a $90,000 federal interdiction grant to combat the
problem. Although some of the money had started to arrive, it was not clear
how much would be awarded or when.

Hoyt noted that drug statistics for the first six months of this year
compared with the same period last year were down by more than 50 percent:
four for marijuana and two for heroin in 2002, compared with 10 arrests for
marijuana and three for heroin in 2001. However, during the same periods he
said there had been a more than three-fold increase in burglaries, from
nine in 2001 to 31 in 2002 that may be related to drug activity.

"I think there's been a slight increase in crime this summer," said Hoyt.
"But, truth be known, the crime in most areas is actually down compared to
2001."

However, school resources officer Mark Moody, who spends much of his time
trying to keep students out of the corrections system, said there is also
much "anecdotal" evidence to suggest that the heroin problem is getting
much worse.

"We're getting a lot more kids coming to us saying they have a drug problem
and need help," he said, adding that he Central Vermont Medical Center has
seen a growing number of teens and young adults who have overdosed or
seeking help with addiction and withdrawal problems.

On The Street

On the street, teens milling about at the information center were
contradictory about drug activity, and dismissive of police efforts to stop
it, and seemingly impervious to the dangers.

"I just got out of jail," said Michael Gilpin, 20, of Montpelier. "They
locked me up for eight-and-a-half months for drinking. I guarantee there's
nothing like that (heroin) going on down here. I know who does it and if I
saw them down here, I'd pop them in the eye. I've seen it really hurt some
of my friends.

"I think they (the community) need to come up with some place for us to go
and hang out."

"I've heard about there being a lot more heroin in Montpelier," said Ashley
Palmisano, 17, of Montpelier. "I don't think heroin is the biggest problem.
There are more problems with cocaine than heroin.

"If anything, there's been weed and maybe some coke. I don't think there's
much they (the police) can do about it. It has more to do with breakdowns
in the family and less attention for kids.

If parents knew where there kids were, there would be a lot less of this,"
she added. "I see a lot of 13-year-olds buying drugs."

The Barre scene

In Barre, teens were much more brazen about drug activity, and also
critical of the police. There is irony in the place they choose to
congregate, the street corner outside Dunkin' Donuts on Main Street. Nearby
is the Washington County District Court where many would face sentence if
arrested for drugs, and the state Corrections Department office where they
would return if paroled.

"The more you tell people not to do it, the more they will do it," said
Erin Paronto, 21, of Barre.

Asked if the drug trade had anything to do with people in town involved in
the corrections system, Paronto replied, "I think it's mostly kids on the
street every day, but I do think the prison population does have something
to do with it. I know a couple of kids as young as 13 and 14, and also kids
in my age group (who do drugs).

"One of my friends overdosed on heroin, and now his whole left side is
paralyzed. I've also had a couple of friends die from it and then they were
brought back to life," she said referring to friends who had been
resuscitated after overdosing.

Others on the same street corner speak candidly about their drug use.

An 18-year-old, Max Brendell, who said he moved to Barre three months ago
from Evansville, Ind., admitted to being a regular drug user and said there
were many others like him in Barre.

"There are all kinds of drug users here," he said. "There are lots of
heroin users and there are people who like using drugs but don't get hooked
on them. I first smoked pot, and since then, I've done acid (LSD), ecstasy
once, and I've done coke. I liked coke, and I'm sure I would like heroin,
which is why I don't do it."

Barre City Police Chief Trevor Whipple said drug crimes in the city were
more-or-less static for the first six months of this year compared with the
same period last year: three arrests for heroin and 16 for marijuana in
2002 compared with three for heroin, two for cocaine and 15 for marijuana
in 2001.

"There's been since the beginning of time, drug problems," said Whipple.
"They're not at epidemic proportions, but we've seen a bit more activity in
Barre.

"We've not arrested anyone in a while (for heroin). There's heroin, but
there's probably been heroin here for years. Yes, there are folks who come
in from out-of-town, but a lot of the people we deal with are local people.

"With overdose calls… we do have some, but the numbers aren't huge. I don't
want to say that we don't have a problem. I don't think we're in a huge
crisis, but I do think it deserves attention."

'Significant' increase

in activity in Berlin

Despite having no town center to speak of where teens congregate, Berlin
Police report a marked surge in drug-related crime, particularly during the
summer months.

Berlin Police Chief Bill Jennings said most of the drug arrests were the
result of traffic stops, and calls from residents reporting suspicious
activity.

In 2001, he said there were a total of 51 drug arrests, 48 for marijuana,
two for cocaine and one for heroin.

In the first six months of this year, he said there were 35 arrests for
marijuana, one for cocaine and one for heroin.

"That was an increase, for the first six months of the year compared with
20 for the same period last year," said Jennings. "That's a very
significant increase. "I'll think we'll be up to 90 cases this year."

Over in Waterbury

In Waterbury, police chief Bill Wolfe said there had been few arrests for
heroin, although a recent seizure of 3.2 grams of the drug after a man was
shot in the knee at a local residence last month was an ominous sign.

"We've not seen a significant problem with heroin to this day, but it is
here," he said. "We've had isolated events where we've recovered heroin,
but it is not of the magnitude of the problem in Barre and Montpelier."

He said there was no discernable street drug activity, but noted there had
been a 25 percent increase in burglaries in the last six months that could
be drug-related.

"I'm inclined to believe that it is (related)," he said.

He also expressed concern at state budget cuts that could limit law
enforcement efforts to combat heroin.

"I'm almost certain that will trickle down to drug enforcement efforts,
which is discouraging," he said. "It's a huge problem statewide and we
actually need to do more enforcement work."

Jo Romano, a substance abuse counselor in central Vermont who works on
preventative programs said there is a pattern of drug dealers arriving at
motels in the area on Thursdays to ply their wares, first selling drugs
cheaply to get teens "hooked," and then raising prices.

And she warned of more problems to come, with a surge of ecstasy, a
so-called "rave" drug popular at all-night dance parties, flooding the area.

"The same thing is happening now with ecstasy, starting out cheap," she sai