STUMBO CALLS FOR DRUG-FIGHTING AGENCY

Cites Big Jump in Crimes

Kentucky should form a new state agency to battle its growing drug problem,
House Majority Leader Greg Stumbo said Friday during a speech in Covington.

Stumbo, the No. 2 Democrat in the state House, proposed creating an agency
he dubbed the Kentucky Bureau of Investigation while speaking at a forum
sponsored by the Northern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce.

"Traveling around the state, the one thing I keep hearing about is the
problem with drugs," said Stumbo, D-Prestonsburg. "I think the state police
do a fine job, but they need some help."

Stumbo said he hoped to have legislation creating the bureau ready to
present to the General Assembly in January.

In the next two weeks, Stumbo plans to meet with Kentucky State Police
officials to discuss the idea before mailing letters to all of the state's
commonwealth attorneys to request input.

Stumbo said he didn't know what it would cost to create the new agency. But
even though the state faced a $300 million shortfall last year and has yet
to adopt a budget this year, Stumbo is confident the bureau would be funded
because of what he says is a huge increase in drug-related crimes.

Stumbo said while traveling through Mayfield this year he discovered that
Graves County had 10 drug-related capital murder cases pending in its
courts. In prior years, the county never had more than one, he said.

While campaigning over the last few years, illegal drugs have overtaken
health care, roads and taxes as the main concerns of his constituents,
Stumbo said.

"Drugs are coming into Kentucky at epidemic proportions," Stumbo said. "The
problems in Graves County were related to meth (methamphetamine) labs there."

Stumbo said the mission of the bureau could be expanded to combat other
types of crimes, but its main priority would be combating illegal drugs.
Other states, including Georgia and Tennessee, have their own bureaus of
investigation.

Maj. Mike Sapp, commander of the state police's Special Enforcement Troop
in Frankfort, which handles drug enforcement, said he has seen a major
increase in drug-related offenses in the last 10 years and welcomes new
ideas toward curbing that trend.

"We'd like to hear what he has to say," Sapp said. "But first we have to
find out what he's talking about. We don't know anything at this point."

State Rep. Jon Draud, R-Crestview Hills, who attended Stumbo's speech
Friday at the Metropolitan Club, said he would hesitate to add money to the
budget during the current fiscal crisis.

"I would say that we need to review the role of all the different agencies
involved. I'm not particularly in favor of creating another bureaucracy at
a time when we don't have any (surplus) money," Draud said.

He also wants to see data that support the assertion that drug use is on
the rise in Kentucky.

State Rep. Jim Callahan, D-Wilder, who also attended Stumbo's speech, said
the proposal deserves consideration if it can be affordable and effective.

"I think though more would have to be put on the table to see what (the new
bureau) would do that we're not doing yet," Callahan said. "If this has a
huge price tag on it, the timing couldn't be worse. But I don't think
that's the case," he said, pointing to Stumbo's idea to coordinate the
bureau with the state police.

Northern Kentucky Drug Strike Force Executive Director Jim Paine said he
knew nothing of Stumbo's plan and didn't want to comment until Stumbo
provided more specifics.

Staff reporters Bob Driehaus and Shelly Whitehead contributed to this story.

[SIDEBAR]

Cartel fight

The proposed Kentucky Bureau of Investigation would help combat drugs in
two ways:

* Help local law enforcement agencies coordinate their efforts against
drug cartels that are constantly moving back and forth between county lines.

* Set up a force to work on large-scale cases directly.