Community Action Reduces Drug Trafficking
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You report that despite three years of effort, the crack plague in New York City only gets worse (front page, Feb. 20). Mayor Edward I. Koch’s administration proposes little more than quick-fix solutions, such as the Tactical Narcotics Teams, or T.N.T.’s. T.N.T.’s are not the long-term answer to our drug problem. Their main effect is to shift the problem from one area to another, and the dealers often return once the teams leave. On the West Side of Manhattan, we are working on getting the drug dealers off our streets for the long term. I serve on the West Side task force on drugs, consisting of precinct commanders, community activists, representatives of elected officials and a representative from the District Attorney’s office. We meet monthly and share information on fighting our local drug problem. Our work has led to effective action. The task force allows community activists, such as the West Side crime prevention program, to let the police know where local drug ”hot spots” are, so they can target their patrols long range to stop dealers. We have also come up with a system in which police precincts routinely ”tag” all arrest reports of repeat offenders, so the overworked District Attorney’s office will know who the serious criminals are, make better use of their personnel and process cases quicker. The task force has, in a few months, strengthened the police presence on our streets and noticeably reduced drug trafficking. Our task force should be a model for fighting the drug epidemic throughout the city. It is only by forming a partnership between community activists, the Police Department and elected officials that we can have any impact on getting drug dealers off our streets. Task forces alone will not solve the drug problem. We need better and more expanded education, treatment and law enforcement. SCOTT M. STRINGER New York, Feb. 23, 1989 The writer is Democratic district leader, 69th Assembly District, Part B. Source : query.nytimes.com |