DRUG TEAM LOOKS FOR FUNDING

Federal Aid Loss Places Stateline Enforcement Unit In Peril

Since their drug enforcement team didn't get any federal money, local
officials are looking into other funding possibilities.

Beloit Police Chief Sam Lathrop said the Rock County Narcotics
Enforcement Team (RCNET), which is part of the Stateline Area
Narcotics Team (SLANT) overseen by the Illinois State Police, will
meet with ISP officials in January to discuss the program's future.

"If we can find alternative funding.. then I think the unit can be
viable for at least another year," Lathrop said. "I think it's a bit
premature to just say the unit is done with."

The county asked for over $129,000 in funding for RCNET, which is
comprised of an officer from Beloit, one from Janesville and one from
the Rock County Sheriff's Department. Recently, RCNET learned they
would receive nothing.

Lathrop said they'd known the funding situation was not good, but
they'd hoped to receive at least half of their request; no one
expected they'd get nothing.

Rock County Sheriff Eric Runaas agreed, saying they were advised when
they applied that funding would be there, but they were probably
looking at a 60 percent cut, which was factored into the individual
department budgets.

"That's enough to run the business end of it plus pay salaries of
some of our officers involved," Runaas said. "(Getting no money) begs
the question of how do you run your office and who (pays) the bills."

In the end, only 16 of 26 drug task forces in Wisconsin received
federal funding, though all asked for some. Those that did receive
money got far less than they'd asked for. Lathrop said the 26 teams
had asked for $4.3 million and only $1.9 million was distributed.

It's not looking any better for 2007. Lathrop said indications have
been that the $1.9 million in available funding will dip to $800,000.

"I think it's a very dire thing for Rock County," Runaas said of the
lack of federal money. "SLANT affects not only the (sheriff's
department) but the chief of Beloit, and the chief of Janesville.
That is our drug fighting force."

For his part, Lathrop believes it's too soon to predict doom. He
pointed out there's about $8,900 in the RCNET "kitty" that could be
used toward the maintenance of the unit. If the ISP can make some
contribution, possibly through their confiscated money funds, the
unit could possibly be funded through 2006.

"It's premature to sound like SLANT is done," Lathrop said.

Beloit and Janesville police chiefs and the Rock County sheriff are
members of the SLANT board of directors. ISP Lt. Jeff Patterson is
administratively responsible for SLANT, among other metro narcotic
enforcement teams.

"We will meet with Patterson and probably his captain the first week
of January and we will talk about the future of SLANT as we know it,"
Lathrop said.

He said that while the potential exists for the unit to disband, it's
not a done deal. Also, the group needs to discuss what course of
action would be taken if the unit did disband.

SLANT is geared specifically toward drug investigations that span an
area or region, rather than a neighborhood or city, which is the
focus of Beloit's Drug and Gang Unit and Janesville's street crimes
unit. These are the bigger dealers, or people actually supplying
large quantities, Lathrop said.

"Can we still participate and work with a metro narcotics enforcement
unit that would allow us to continue to investigate drug crimes at
that secondary level?" Lathrop said. "If SLANT doesn't exist anymore,
how do we get that work done? Or can we?"

Runaas agreed a lot more will be known after the January 4 meeting.

"The important part is, we haven't gotten there yet," Lathrop said.
"It's important to start thinking in that direction in case the peril
that we see SLANT in becomes a reality. But it's not a reality yet
and we haven't even looked at local alternatives to see what other
sources might be out there."

No matter what happens, Runaas wanted to assure the public the
departments will find a way to combat the drug problem.

"We'll just be doing it from a different angle if SLANT goes away,"
Runaas said. "Regardless of the outcome of that meeting, we will
continue to fight drugs in Rock County."