IT MAY BE TOO SOON TO TELL IF DEALER DOWN IS WORKING

ASHEVILLE -- Nearly a month after it started, a program that offers
residents incentives for alerting police to drug activity has yet to
net an arrest.

But that doesn't mean the program isn't working, said Carl Mumpower,
chairman of the Asheville-Buncombe Drug Commission and an Asheville
city councilman.

"These things take time to work," Mumpower said. "They don't happen overnight."

The Dealer Down drug program aims to reduce the amount of hard drugs
on the street by rewarding whistleblowers $1,000 if a dealer
possessing half a kilogram, or 1.1 pounds of drugs, such as cocaine,
crack or methamphetamines is arrested. Another $1,000 will be
rewarded if the same person is convicted.

"We're aiming this at the big guys," Mumpower said. He said money for
rewards will come from private sources.

Drug arrests in Asheville have increased 33 percent over four years,
with 1,212 arrests in the 2004-05 fiscal year, according to city staff.

Asheville Housing Authority director Gene Bell, also a drug
commission member, agreed with Mumpower that it is too early to know
whether the program is working.

Bell oversees Asheville's nine public housing developments, where he
said some of the city's most visual drug activity takes place.

Bell said he does hear people talking about the program.

"I haven't heard anybody say they're going to turn anybody in or not
turn anybody in," he said.