DRUG BUSTS INCREASING

Police are making far more busts and seizing far more drugs in Durham
this year than the year before. Why? It could be that more drugs are
being smuggled into Durham, or that more citizens are reporting drug
dealers, or that the police are being more aggressive against drugs.
Or, and this is the most likely conclusion, it's a combination of all
of them. The figures speak clearly. From January through October of
2005, the Durham Police Department's Special Operations Division
conducted 186 drug raids, compared to 139 all of last year. Police
seized 222 pounds of cocaine during the 10 months this year, compared
to only 83 pounds in 2004. That was a huge difference, but so was the
jump in the amount of marijuana taken off the street -- 4,721 pounds
this year as compared to 980 pounds last year. Similarly, officers
grabbed 14.6 ounces of heroin this year compared to 2.8 ounces last year.

Those are impressive and welcome statistics, given the litany of woes
that stem from the drug trade. Consider a partial list of the
consequences of illegal drugs:

n Addicts commit crimes, create victims, go to prison, break up
families and contribute to poverty.

n The drug trade fuels violence between dealers that impacts innocent
bystanders and turns peaceful neighborhoods into dangerous places.

n Drugs steal health, wealth and human potential from users.

n The drug business is the foundation that supports violent criminal gangs.

We know that tough law enforcement isn't the only answer to illicit
drug activity. Durham needs more mental health and drug
rehabilitation facilities to deal with the root causes of drug abuse
and addiction. But as is shown in the list above, the drug trade is
not a victimless crime. Drugs must be taken seriously and dealt with
aggressively by law enforcement, and we're pleased that the police
force is doing so.

It's also a positive sign that citizens are feeling empowered to
report drug crimes to police. Ken Gasch of Partners Against Crime,
District 2, has been a leader in encouraging citizens to speak up
about drugs and in pushing landlords to evict tenants who run drug
houses. Only through a sustained effort by law enforcement and the
community will Durham become known as a town that has no time for drug dealers.