A DRAFT PROPOSAL TO ELIMINATE ILLEGAL DRUGS

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A Draft Proposal for a Volunteer
Community Illegal Drug Elimination Program (CIDEP)
Gem County, Idaho
Introduction
This draft proposal is based on the October 7th, 2005, presentation by Idaho State Police Captain, Don Von Cleave and Gem County Prosecutor, Timothy Flemming, in Emmett, Idaho. From that presentation, it is clear that the illegal drug problem in our community is worsening. Clearly, and in keeping with the pleas from these gentlemen, a community-wide, citizen-based response is in order. This draft proposal defines a volunteer Community Illegal Drug Elimination Program (CIDEP) which could be implemented independently or by expanding and evolving the current neighborhood watch programs in the area. While the current programs are relatively sparse, and focus on suspicious criminal activity dealing with theft, robbery, etc., the CIDEP would expand into a community-wide program that adds illegal drug related activities, and serves as an avenue for associated out-reach programs.

The goals of this program, the method for initiation, a basic organization structure, and ideas for funding for expenses incurred by this volunteer program are presented in this document.

Overall Goals of the Program
The overall goal of the CIDEP is to bring the entire community together in responding to the problem of illegal drugs in the community, particularly methamphetamine. In so doing, the program is an organization of volunteers at the most basic level of the community, capable of addressing this issue at that level. This is accomplished by making the following goals the focus of the effort:

Community wide involvement (gridded community, quality volunteers lead each grid)
Education (reality and specifics of problem, outreach, family values)
Prevention (neighborly care, sending a message, unwelcome environment for drugs)
Reaction (avenue for available treatment, eyes and ears for law enforcement)
Model and replication (community, county, state, etc.)

Each of these areas of focus is discussed individually as follows:

Community-wide Involvement
It is essential that the program expand rapidly to cover the entire community. This can be accomplished through gridding the community into manageable segments and then identifying quality volunteers to lead each of those segments, or Community Illegal Drig Elimination Groups (CIDEG). For more on how this can be accomplished is covered read the section entitled, “Methods of Initiation”. Each individual CIDEG leader recruits volunteer members from amongst friends, relatives and neighbors within their area. Support of these group’s efforts from city, county and state agencies will be essential.

Education
Each CIDEG will provide educational opportunities for those members of the community within their boundaries, or others friends, relatives and neighbors who care to attend their CIDEG functions. This education will be directed at the nature and extent of the specific drug problem(s), the importance of family values and involvement, the availability of resource, and the specific goals and activities of the respective group. The avenue for this will be through neighborhood get-togethers, eats, and other meetings on a regular basis. At these meetings discussions are held and material is presented that educate the participants in the above described areas,

A good initial resource would be the presentation Captain Van Cleave made on October 7th in Emmett. Such a presentation should cut to CD and made available to each group.

Prevention
The regular meetings be each group in the respective areas of the community will send a two-fold message. First, the community will be educating itself as to the extent and ramifications of the problem. As more citizens are made aware of the horrible ramification engaging in illegal drug use, more and more will choose to “just say no”, knowing that they have the support of the community in so doing. This message will be the community saying that it cares for its members and is willing to be involved in their betterment. Secondly, a clear message will be sent to the criminal drug traffickers that this particular community will not tolerate their behavior. Such a program can rapidly become self feeding, leading to sustained reduction and then elimination of the mentality to take illegal drugs and in reducing the supply of illegal drugs significantly.

Reaction
Currently the illegal drug problem is real and it is growing. Any reaction to the existing problem must have both a rehabilitative and a law enforcement element.

For rehabilitation, the volunteer CIDEGs, which by nature will be close to their own area of the community, will be the ideal place to discover and report abuse, and refer those willing to seek help to the avenues providing it. It is expected that in the regular neighborhood meetings, information will be presented to the citizens regarding these treatment and rehabilitation programs. The members of the CIDEG will be in a position, as neighbors and friends of those around them, to help nurture and support others through this process, which can only lead to better rehabilitation…and less relapse.

From a reporting and law enforcement perspective, the CIDEG and its members will function as a classic neighborhood watch program, with an emphasis on illegal drug related activities. This will require ongoing training to be supplied through local law enforcement and/or social services agencies.

Model and Replication
As this becomes effective, it can be replicated throughout the county, and then into other counties, until it has covered the state. From there, other states will pick up the idea and establish a growing block to illegal drug activities across the nation. The more effective we become, the less friendly illegal drug areas there will be within our borders.

Method of Initiation
This program can be initiated through the involvement, suggestions, and potential oversight from community organizations already in place. An initial list of such organizations follows:

Churches (Catholic, LDS, Baptist, Jewish, etc.)
Kiwanis Club
Local Veterans Organizations
City Council/Local Police
County Commissioners/County Attorney/County Sheriff, etc.

Representatives from these and other organizations should be invited to planning meetings. A board of directors or oversight committee could be established from amongst them.

The basic idea is to grid out the community into manageable sections where a single, quality volunteer leader could be arrived at for each area. Those individual would be recommended by the various organizations listed above. Depending on the specific county, various area coordinators, municipality coordinators, and a county-wide coordinator could also be identified.

If the grid is determined quickly, several leaders could be identified and the initial CIDEG meetings could be held within a few weeks. Within a few months an entire area the size of Emmett could be fully functional if the support is forthcoming.

Basic Organizational Structure
The basic organization would be relatively straight forward. Volunteer citizens from each individual area are headed by a Group Leader. These groups work within their respective boundaries to hold public get-togethers, eats, education forums, and provide information regarding treatment, rehabilitation, etc. They also organize themselves into traditional neighborhood watches, with special training and emphasis on drug awareness. Finally, they act as good neighbors to the people within their respective geographical (or spheres of influence) and reach out to, mentor, and help those seeking assistance.

Each Group Leader works with municipal or area coordinators to receive information and coordinate response from local social services, law enforcement, or rehabilitation agencies. A county-wide coordinator works with the area and municipal coordinators and facilitates their needs by coordinating with county-wide, state, and federal agencies, and with other county coordinators to facilitate information flow, advertisement, funding for activities, etc.

A basic depiction of the mature organization just described is shown below:

During development and initiation, the initial groups would have a single municipal coordinator until the organization warrants a more mature organizational structure like that depicted above.

All of the positions within the CIDEP will be voluntary with no salary or other remuneration outside of advertising, material, or other expenses approved in advance and budgeted by the County and Municipal/Area Coordinators in conjunction with the oversight group.

Ideas for Funding
The CIDEP should have little or no major operating expenses, salaries, insurance, etc. It is strictly voluntary. Having said that, there will be advertising/announcement costs (radio, newspaper and potential TV ads), material costs (CD presentations, copied literature, etc), and other costs associated with making the public aware of the program and with the educational and out reach efforts of the individual groups.

Volunteers will be expected to carry the burden of their own travel, time, and incidental costs as a part of their civic duty. This applies from the individual group members up to the county coordinator and oversight group.

For advertisement, announcement, literature, material, and potential costs associated with meetings, several avenues are available for funding. The various social services, law enforcement and other agencies could make their applicable literature available at no cost, realizing that the savings associated with the success of the program far outweigh such costs. Newspapers and radio or television stations would be asked to donate time as public service announcements. Groups like the Kiwanis and other organizations would be asked to donate time and material. Finally, there are federal and state grants that could assist in such funding.

Summary
What has been discussed here is a draft proposal for a program to address the rising problem of illegal drugs, particularly methamphetamine, head-on. It presumes and depends on the basic goodness morality, and willingness of the individual members of the community to stand up and provide civic service. It will clearly require review and perhaps modification to ensure it complies with existing laws and ordinances and is workable with the agencies that would be involved.

When faced with the extent of the problem, and with the clear choice of either having literal gunfire in the streets like what is occurring over in the Caldwell area…which all responsible citizens in the Emmett Valley are concerned about…or putting our foot down and offering help to those who desire it and sending a clear message to those who seek to perpetrate this criminal activity amongst us, I believe that good citizens will rise up and perform their civic duty, help those desiring it, and send that message. That message must be clear and unequivocal…this activity and behavior will absolutely not be tolerated in our community!

When people of good conscience, regardless of religious or political affiliation, and regardless of social status, stand together in the breech, the entire community is benefited. That is what is required. I have full faith that, that is exactly what can occur here in the Emmett Valley.

Once successful in Emmett proper, such a program can be expanded rapidly throughout Gem County. Once successful in the county, it will naturally grow, in one form or another, and be modeled and replicated in other counties across the state. From there, other states will pick it up, based on its success, and a line can be drawn across the width and breadth of this nation.

Success breeds success. When citizens see that they can become involved and make a difference…I believe they will rush forward to make that difference.