Drug Wars

There is much in the media about who controls, or should control, the Chatham-Savannah Counter Narcotics Team. It’s unfortunate this ‘drug war’ is being debated in boardrooms.

We will not debate the issue … it truly is a political one … but let's shed light on a few facts.

The truth of the matter is this – the only winners out of this ‘war’ are the criminals. Some have said that the current operation of CNT is working well. However, we freely admit that crime – especially drug-related crime – has taken a big jump this year. It is doubtful that this is a trend limited to our jurisdictional area.

It’s time to look at the way the majority of municipalities deal with drug interdiction. In almost any city you go to, you will find an internal Drug or Vice Unit run by the police department, and then a Task Force that looks at higher-level drug interdiction. From cities the size of Columbus to Atlanta – each have their own drug units and provide bodies to a larger task force.

Our department has no Narcotics Unit … we have Crime Suppression Units and TRAP units that do some drug work along with trying to deal with myriad other crimes in the region. However, there are not enough bodies to amass a full-frontal assault on drugs and drug crime in our city.

Chief Berkow has not lobbied for control of CNT – again, it is a political issue – what he does want – is enough bodies to put together an effective drug-fighting team that will concentrate on the areas where most drug-crimes are occurring – on the streets of Savannah … without depleting the patrol ranks that citizens depend on to help with day-to-day public safety issues.

SCMPD needs officers concentrating on street-level dealing and street-level crime affiliated with the drug trade. CNT could then concentrate on those mid-level and upper-level dealers that feed the street supply. It’s hard to find another department in the country that has a set-up like we have here … it may have worked in the past, but perhaps it’s time to take a look at the best-practices of other jurisdictions, and lean on the experience of a Chief who has worked across the country, and provide the resources the department needs to fight crime and drugs in our jurisdiction.