Drug Trafficking Designation Wanted

WASHINGTON - The North Country's federal elected officials are pushing the federal government to designate Jefferson County part of a high-intensity drug trafficking region, opening the way to more federal enforcement money.

Jefferson County was turned down for such a designation last year, but St. Lawrence and Franklin counties were included, and elected leaders say the county's location along the Canadian border warrants reconsideration for the program.

If approved, Jefferson County would become part of the New York-New Jersey High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area, which includes several counties in Northern and Central New York.

"We believe Jefferson County presents a significant threat for cross-border importation of illegal drugs and that the County satisfies the requirements for the HIDTA expansion," wrote Rep. William L. Owens, D-Plattsburgh, along with Sens. Kirsten E. Gillibrand and Charles E. Schumer, Democrats of New York, to the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy.

Jefferson County may have been hurt in its last application because it lacks the central point of drug trafficking of the St. Regis Mohawk Reservation, for instance, which gained the designation for Franklin and St. Lawrence counties.

The 2007 designation for those counties resulted in the hiring of two additional senior drug intelligence officers for the northern border.

The lawmakers sent their letter along with the county's application to federal officials.

A spokesman for the Office of National Drug Control Policy did not immediately return a call Monday seeking comment on how applications are reviewed and how long the process may take.

In taking on the issue, Mr. Owens is following work that former Rep. John M. McHugh, R-Pierrepont Manor, did on the region's behalf.

"Our ports and border crossings in Jefferson County spur economic development in our region, but that development is threatened every time drugs are smuggled across the border," Mr. Owens said in a press release. "The addition of Jefferson County to the New York/New Jersey HIDTA will help us control the drug trade, keep our communities safe, and enhance trade in our area."