Money Talks

DO WE WANT TO FIGHT DRUGS ON THE NORTH COAST?

Friday's front-page photographs from Thursday's drug bust in Astoria
were the most frightening and disgusting images printed in this
newspaper for years.

Guns. Drugs. Money.

All this was seized from two addresses - right in the center of town -
by members of the Clatsop County Inter-agency Narcotics Team,
augmented by officers from the Clatsop Sheriff's Office, Oregon State
Police and Astoria, Warrenton and Seaside police departments.

Is this the picture of the North Coast we want the world to see?
Enough firepower to start a small-scale war? Enough coke and meth to
get half the town high?

We think not.

Clatsop County Sheriff Tom Bergin was jubilant about wrapping up the
case. Though he said it will take a big dent out of trafficking, he
acknowledged that it won't cure the ill. However, seven suspects are
in custody. Five are charged with drug dealing.

It took five months for lawmen to crack the drug ring. Thursday's
raids netted drugs with a street value of $44,000, 10 guns and cash
totaling $16,800.

The success was possible, in part, because Sgt. Bob Hahn and two
colleagues on the Inter-agency Narcotics Team worked hard, in
cooperation with other municipal and county departments on both sides
of the river. (Criminals show no respect for jurisdictional lines.)
Pacific County's Sheriff John Didion was especially helpful in this
case. Seaside Police Department provides a full-time officer to the
task force.

Astoria Police Department also helped with information and assistance,
and officers were on hand at 7 a.m. when team leaders rousted the
suspects. But Astoria does not have a serving member on the task
force. That is a mistake that needs to be corrected.

No one can say Chief Rob Deu Pree is soft on drugs. His officers work
drug cases - 153 in 2005, 177 in 2004. He deserves enormous credit for
leading the drive to clean up downtown in the mid-1990s. But he says
he cannot spare an Astoria officer on the task force because of the
funding priorities set by the Astoria City Council. He has 16
officers. To ensure that a patrol car is available respond to any call
in the city limits 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, he needs every
one.

Let's take that at face value and address the folks who can make this
happen: those with their hands on the purse strings. We call on the
city of Astoria Budget Committee to take a look at the photographs on
Friday's front page, then ask one question: Is this the Astoria we
want?

The committee consists of Mayor Willis Van Dusen, City Council members
Joyce Compere, Peter Roscoe, Blair Henningsgaard and Russ Warr, plus
some citizen volunteers, who include former council members. The
non-council members are yet to be selected for this coming budget season.

Bergin has taken some heat for his leadership and actions in his term
as sheriff, but we can all agree he's a dedicated drug buster. He
needs some help, and we believe Astoria should provide it. This year,
the city will contribute $2,250 to help the task force.

That simply does not cut it.