Chester and Delaware Counties expand drug war

The White House designated Chester and Delaware Counties as "high-intensity" drug-trafficking corridors yesterday.

The dubious distinction, announced at a news conference at the U.S. Attorney's Office in Philadelphia, delighted representatives of regional law enforcement because it comes with $200,000 in federal funding.

"Today is a good day for Chester and Delaware Counties," said Scott M. Burns, White House deputy drug czar. "Today is a bad day for drug-trafficking organizations in Pennsylvania and New Jersey."

The money will pay for computers, software and overtime for local and state officers.

U.S. Marshal Gary E. Shovlin, who heads the Philadelphia-Camden operation of High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas, and U.S. Attorney Patrick L. Meehan pointed out that both counties had already been involved in regional partnerships to curb drug dealing.

Some of that work has targeted an operation in Chester County that allegedly involved 50 pounds of crystal methamphetamine, and led to arrests in a reported $7 million heroin-trafficking ring in Delaware County, Meehan said.

As a result, Chester County District Attorney Joseph W. Carroll and his Delaware County counterpart, G. Michael Green, could make a case - surviving national competition - to expand the high-intensity drug-trafficking district, Meehan said.

"Now we can have detectives and officers from the Chester and Delaware County regions become part of the regional task forces that will look at the issues," he said.

Green said the agencies involved shared one goal: "to take down drug-trafficking and distribution organizations throughout this region."

Delaware County is in a "unique and important location," he said. He noted the proximity to the Delaware River, I-95, the Blue Route, and Cargo City at Philadelphia International Airport. "Those are the major ways that drugs are trafficked and caravaned over land into this region."

The two counties join Philadelphia and Camden already designated as high-intensity drug-trafficking areas.

The four counties will share about $4 million in federal funding in 2008 for investigative work, specialized training, and equipment, road stops, administrative salaries, and help with information-sharing and intelligence-analysis services.

Nationwide, 26 counties were given the designation yesterday in an effort to reduce drug trafficking.

In 2007, there were 335 arrests for sales and manufacturing in Chester County and 1,203 in Delaware County.