While Crime Has Dropped, Drug Arrests Have Increased

SABRE: THE LATEST EFFORT IN VIRGINIA'S WAR ON DRUGS

OVER THE past two decades, both political parties in Virginia have worked in a sincere effort to reduce a soaring crime rate.

In the past two administrations, the men who've occupied the Governor's Mansion have made remarkable progress to reduce crime in Virginia by abolishing parole, enacting sentencing reforms and revamping the juvenile-justice system.

These bold steps have worked.  In 1998, Virginia's index crime rate reached its lowest point since the mid-'70s.

Despite these positive trends to reduce crime in Virginia, illegal drug use in the state continues to plague our commonwealth.  Between 1988 and 1998, the arrest rate in Virginia for possession of illegal drugs -- narcotics and marijuana -- increased 60 percent.  Between 1988 and 1999, drug arrests rose from 16,000 to 30,000, more than three times the number of arrests for violent offenses.  Today in Virginia, juvenile drug offenders represent 10 percent of new probation cases, with more than half of these young drug offenders requiring substance-abuse treatment.

Methamphetamines pose an imminent threat to our children and our public safety.  These drugs can be produced using widely available commercial products and are no longer confined to the western or southwestern portions of the country.  These drugs, dealers and their illegal "meth shops" are now invading Virginia.  We must work together -- without political posturing -- and enact a series of new laws that will stem this horrid flow of illegal drugs into our state and severely punish those who attempt to sell drugs to our children.  We must also offer treatment and substance-abuse counseling to those who are in need.

As lieutenant governor, I am working to promote a series of bills that will toughen penalties for drug dealers and chronic users, break the link between drugs, guns and children, offer cash bounties for dealers and establish a new state police division to fight narcotics and drug-related crime.

This crucial program is called SABRE: Substance Abuse Reduction Effort.

The SABRE legislation calls for tougher penalties for drug dealers and chronic users by redefining "drug kingpin" requirements and imposing mandatory, lifetime imprisonment for these notorious drug criminals.

SABRE legislation also imposes a 20-years-to-life sentence on anyone convicted of possessing major quantities of drugs and five-year mandatory minimum sentences for those who import illegal drugs into Virginia, with 10 years for subsequent offenses.

SABRE also calls for a minimum, mandatory one-year penalty for those who supply firearms to minors, a minimum one-year penalty for selling drugs in a drug-free school zone and a six-month penalty for selling steroids.

In addition, SABRE legislation calls for establishing $10,000 cash rewards for information leading to the arrest and conviction of:

People who deal in large quantities of drugs.

Pushers who sell drugs to our children.

Methamphetamine lab operators.

Finally, SABRE will establish a Drug Eradication Division with at least 150 new officers under the direct control of the state police superintendent.

This division will provide a permanent force to assist localities in fighting narcotics and related crime problems.  It will increase the commonwealth's ability to interdict the flow of illegal drugs, narcotics and weapons on roadways and improve public safety by allowing troopers currently in special drug-control units to return to traffic control.

While SABRE calls for tough penalties against heinous drug dealers and career criminals, drug treatment is also a major component of this fine legislative package.  SABRE legislation requires first-time drug offenders to undergo drug testing and treatment and perform extensive community service.  SABRE also fosters expansion of peer-support groups and aftercare treatment programs, as well as developing structured transitional-release programs.

These various bills that make up the SABRE legislation are designed to protect Virginia's children, improve the quality of life for all residents and make substantial gains in our war against drug abuse.

At this writing, many of these bills are moving through subcommittees and will be voted on in this session of the General Assembly.  I call on all Virginians to rally around this legislative package and let their representative know how important the SABRE program is to protecting our most treasured resource, our next generation of children.

John Hager is lieutenant governor of Virginia.