FEDS SAY DRUG WAR BATTLE IS LOCAL ISSUE

GARY -- In order to vanquish the city's drug abuse troubles, one of
the nation's deputy drug policy directors said Tuesday that Gary's
neighborhoods must be the ones to step up.

Jack Claypoole, who oversees major cities and critical areas for the
White House's National Drug Control Policy office, visited Gary to
share information and strategies.

Lt. Sam Roberts of the Gary Police Department said the city is trying
to work toward earning a set of $120,000 grants to deal with drug
abuse in the city.

"The grant requires the citizens of Gary to come together as a
community before the federal government will intervene with monetary
assistance," Roberts said.

To that end, Claypoole joined city and county leaders at a luncheon
at the Genesis Convention Center to talk about what needs to be done.

Afterward, he said Gary has already been more successful than other
communities, because all of its leaders are already on the same page.

"The community's aware that they need to do more," Claypoole said.

Now, he said, it is up to neighborhood groups, families and children
to really embrace an anti-drug culture in Gary. That, he said, will
be the challenge.

"It's not that we have a one-size-fits-all solution," Claypoole said.

The visit, made at the request of Gary City Hall, was helpful for
Claypoole, too, he said. What he learns and hears in Gary, he said,
he might be able to take with him to other communities.

"I just want to see what's working and what's not," Claypoole said.