Fedsí drug war funding still ìtrickling downî to KY
State is a major marijuana producing area, but cocaine has become ìbigger problemî
Jim Heald
News editor

 Area law enforcement agencies and drug treatment centers are waiting for theri share of the Commonwealthís portion of President George Bushís promised $7.9 billion anti-drug budget.

 This time the money will come to Kentucky and will be distributed according to federal priorities.

 Todd Trumbore, director of subastance abute treatment for Pathways, Inc., said that ìin the 1980ís, under President Reagan, we got direct support from teh federal government.î

 ìFunding for more uniformed and undercover oficers always helps,î said KY State Trooper Gary Kistner.

 Small time drug dealers may have only a few thousand dollars available to them to fuel their illicit activities, but the big time dealers ìhave better financing and more sophisticated weaponsî than ever before, said Kistner.

 The City of Ashland did not receive federal funding last year, according to police Lt. Chapman Cole.

 ìIt would be great if we would receive funding this year,î Cole said, adding that APD does not expect to.

 For the past five years, Kentucky has been in the top five states - and in 1986 was rated number one - for the production and destruction of marijuana, but now ìcocaine has become a bigger problem,î Kistner added.

 ìCocaine submissions have increased dramatically, compared to last year,î said Tom Morrow, lab supervisor and forensic drug chemist at the State Police Regional Crime Lab. ìIt has exceeded marijuana.î

 Morrow, who spends most of his time doing drug testing for RCL also has worked with the Drug Enforcement Agency in analytical capacities.

 ìInterdepartmental rivalry would be coutner-productive,î Morrow said.î Though there may be some competition between the federal, state and local agencies, they have ìmade cases together.î

 The KSP section handling narcotics has worked closely with the DEA in the past on the eradictation of marijuana and ìit (DEA) has been very cooperative,î said Kistner.

 The DEA distributes flyers to crime labs around the country, keeping them informed of trends in drug trafficking.