Slant Drug Unit Slashed By Feds

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A cut in federal funding may force authorities to disband Rock County's drug enforcement unit.

"The future of the unit is dire," District Attorney David O'Leary said Wednesday after leaders of the unit met.

Rock County had applied for $129,250 in federal funding, but officials learned earlier this month that the unit will receive nothing.

The Rock County Narcotics Enforcement Team ( RCNET ) is made up of one officer each from the Rock County Sheriff's Department, Beloit Police Department and Janesville Police Department.

RCNET is attached to the Stateline Area Narcotics Team, which is part of the Illinois State Police. The three Rock County officers plus three Illinois State Police investigators form the six-officer SLANT squad headquartered in Beloit.

"Some of that federal reimbursement was going to go to the expense of those officers' pay," O'Leary said. "Obviously, that means they're going to have to come up with that additional money to the tune of $20,000 per department."

On top of that, the federal grant in past years covered office rent and utilities for the drug unit, which are projected to total $17,000 in 2006.

"The reality is that none of the departments have that in their budget," O'Leary said.

RCNET operates on both sides of the state line, conducting investigations in Rock, Green and Lafayette counties in Wisconsin and in Boone, Winnebago and Stephenson counties in Illinois.

"Rock County is the primary area of responsibility," reads the grant application.

The application indicates that crack ******* and powder ******* are the "drugs of choice" in Janesville and Beloit, and marijuana is "a significant drug threat" in rural communities.

Methamphetamine use and distribution in Rock County is minimal but may be poised to increase.

"Over the past few months, an increasing number of suspected incidents have been identified where non-law enforcement agencies are providing addiction counseling and other services to identified meth users," the application reads.

O'Leary agreed that with the methamphetamine threat on the horizon, this is not a good time to lose a drug unit.

"Methamphetamine makes crack ******* look like candy," O'Leary said.

But Rock County is not alone in losing funding.

Among the 26 multijurisdictional drug units in Wisconsin that applied for a federal grant, RCNET is among 10 that are receiving zero. Most of the 16 units getting money are receiving no more than half of the funding they requested.

Together, the 26 units had requested $4.3 million in funding, but only $1.9 million was available for 2006.

And it's expected to get worse.

Federal funding for Wisconsin drug units in 2007 is expected to be cut to $800,000.

O'Leary said the advantage of RCNET and its affiliation with SLANT was the ability of the officers to attack the drug problem on both sides of the state line.

"They've been going after the suppliers, which are supplying the street-level dealers in each community," O'Leary said. "When we're tied in with Illinois State Police, they can go across the border and into Chicago and Rockford."

O'Leary said local authorities decided Wednesday to ask if Illinois State Police can help make up the funding shortfall and then meet again in January.

If RCNET dies, cooperation on drug enforcement will continue, O'Leary said, but each police department may have to resort to having its own drug unit.

Source: Janesville Gazette (WI)
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