DEA chief speaks, praises drug court

Hutchinson said the war against terrorists is indirectly also against drug traffickers.
By BOB JACKSON
VINDICATOR COURTHOUSE REPORTER
YOUNGSTOWN -- Asa Hutchinson believes in drug courts so much that he came to Youngstown to promote them.
"I am here to put an exclamation point on what Mahoning County is doing," Hutchinson said this morning. He is the administrator of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and was in town to speak for a graduation ceremony in the common pleas drug court.
He came at the invitation of David J. McKay, Mahoning County drug court administrator.
Became a fan: Hutchinson said he became a fan of drug courts while serving as a congressman in his home state of Arkansas. He likes the philosophy of giving first-time, nonviolent drug offenders a second chance to turn their lives around rather than sending them straight to jail.
"We're looking for options that work, and this works," he said.
The DEA chief said he's impressed with the progress Mahoning County's drug court has made in its short tenure. Founded in 1998, it has already been recognized by the National Drug Court Institute as one of the best in the nation.
As the country's top drug enforcement cop, Hutchinson said he favors a tough stand against drug activity, which includes locking up those offenders who deserve it.
'Second chances': "But at the same time, we are a nation of second chances," he said.
Hutchinson said Youngstown is an important battleground in the war against drug trafficking because of its location between Pittsburgh and Cleveland, and between Chicago and New York City.
"But on the other hand, I don't believe there are any unimportant drug enforcement areas," Hutchinson said.
He also said the country's war against terrorists is indirectly a war against drug traffickers. Many countries that sponsor terrorist cells, like Afghanistan, are also responsible for shipping huge amounts of illegal drugs into other countries.
Clamping down on those countries helps curb the flow of drugs out of them, which in turn stems the flow of revenue to the terrorist groups.
He said Afghanistan is a major producer of heroin, though most of the heroin that enters the United States comes from countries like Mexico and Columbia.
Keeping a tighter watch on American borders should help reduce the amount of illegal drugs coming into the country, he said.
bjackson@vindy.com