LEADERS COLLABORATE AT SUMMIT IN WAR AGAINST DRUGS

Steering Committee Will Consolidate Ideas Raised At Meeting.

Neighborhood groups could better fight Allentown's drug problem if they
communicated with each other, said Trisha Corradini, community organizer
for St. Luke's Neighborhood Center on Seventh Street.

For two days, that's just what they did. As part of the federal Drug
Enforcement Administration's summit in Allentown, 180 community leaders
divided into focus groups to discuss problems caused by drugs and possible
solutions.

"By working with others from other neighborhood groups, we helped each
others' minds," Corradini said.

The summit, held at Sacred Heart Hospital on Wednesday and Thursday, was
part of a new initiative to address drug-related issues and solutions.
Allentown is one of three cities in the DEA's pilot program, Integrated
Drug Enforcement Assistance.

Participants said the summit helped them see that they had similar problems
to deal with in fighting drugs.

"The whole drug issue increases the crime rate and puts a pallor on the
quality of life," said Linda Anthony, who represented PPL Electric
Utilities. "We need a lot more education and open communication about it."

Most of the groups found similar problems that need to be addressed, DEA
official Frank Pepper said. "Everyone's seeing the same thing, and that
brings more to the table," he said.

Even existing methods have their barriers, summit participants said. For
example, many inner-city residents are afraid of reporting problems to
police, even anonymously.

"People are scared if they complain, a gang member will retaliate and hurt
them," Corradini said.

For the next year, DEA officials will work with Allentown community
members. "Hopefully people will see results before the year's up," Pepper
said. "But it's going to take time."

The first step will be to form a committee to consolidate the ideas raised
in the summit. The steering committee of 15 to 20 people should be in place
within 45 days, Pepper said.

"We need a lot of collaboration to make this happen," Anthony said.