|
Tuesday, 17 April 2007 18:02 |
By DAVID FORBES
Increasing efforts to fight hard drugs in Asheville, especially in high-crime neighborhoods, will require roughly $2.4 million, including new officers and detectives, more beats and new equipment, such as a breathalyzer that can detect the use of some drugs, Police Chief Bill Hogan told City Council on April 10.
ìWeíre recommending additional beats in the South-Central and West Asheville areas, especially in the Pisgah View and Haywood Road areas,î Hogan said. ìWe need to increase our response time. Weíre challenging these communities to become involved as well. We already know weíre displacing some drug dealers outside of the city.î
Presenting a plan requested by council, Hogan noted that as Asheville
has grown, the police department has decreased in size. Currently the
department has five vacancies that have largely been made up by current
officers working overtime.
Under the plan, the department will also add two detectives focused on computers and forensics.
ìThe computer detective will particularly target child porn and one of
the major problems we face in prosecuting drug cases is the lag time in
getting samples back from the state labs,î Hogan said. ìMore forensics
is essential to making more prosecutions stick and putting more people
in jail.î
He also echoed remarks by District Attorney Ron Moore, who had
presented to council earlier in the evening, that the city request more
state funding for prisons to deal with overcrowding.
Furthermore, he noted that the department is looking to purchase new
technology that allows officers to administer a breath test for the
presence of drugs.
ìTheyíre still getting it perfected so it can detect the presence of
methamphetamine,î Hogan said. ìBut it works very well in detecting
crack and marijuana.î
After the presentation, Councilman Brownie Newman asked if more police presence would eventually lead to fewer arrests.
ìThat would seem to me to be a sign that this would be reducing crime,î
Newman said. ìThat would mean that a higher police presence is actually
discouraging some people from committing crimes.î
Hogan replied that ìthat is what we want to see. We hope that under
this plan, youíll see more arrests that first and then a decrease as
the increased presence has its effect.î
He added that police will be working ìwith schools, churches and social services, especially in high crime areas.î
Meanwhile, Councilman Carl Mumpower, who has frequently called for
harsher and more stringent enforcement of drug laws, praised the plan.
ìThank you, thereís a lot in there and I donít know if we can do it
all, but itís a good place to start,î Mumpower said. ìYou gave us just
what we asked for.î
Mayor Terry Bellamy also asked Hogan for a list of his top-priority
proposals and how much each would individually cost. She added that
council would take the plan into account as it crafts the cityís budget
for the next fiscal year.
|
