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TAG appoints new drug-force commander; Ashtabula’s role still undetermined
By Ed Runyan
WARREN
Ashtabula Co. prosecutor speaks on TAG
Video
Nick Iarocci talks about Ashtabula County's continued participation in TAG.
Ashtabula County Prosecutor Nick Iarocci said Thursday the relationship between Ashtabula County officials and new Trumbull County Sheriff Paul Monroe “got off to a rocky start,” but he’s going to urge the Ashtabula County commissioners to remain part of a two-county drug-fighting team.
“We have reached a mutual understanding, and we want to move forward now as a team in working together,” Iarocci said after a long meeting of the Trumbull Ashtabula Group Law Enforcement Task Force advisory board.
At the meeting, which took place at the Trumbull County commissioners’ meeting room, a majority of the advisory board approved removing longtime TAG commander Jeff Orr and appointing three people to replace him.
Joe Dragovich, chief deputy for the Trumbull County Sheriff’s Office, was appointed TAG project director; Capt. Tony Villanueva of the Trumbull County Sheriff’s office was appointed commander; and Greg Leonard of the Ashtabula County Sheriff’s office was appointed assistant commander.
Orr served as project director and commander, and there was no assistant commander. But Monroe said the two counties encompass 1,000 square miles, and two commanders are needed.
Iarocci said it was clear that Orr can no longer serve as TAG commander because he is no longer a captain for Sheriff Monroe.
Iarocci added: “A lot of grant funding [for combating the opiate crisis] is premised on the relationship we already have with Trumbull,” and if Ashtabula were to form its own drug unit, “that money was being jeopardized.”
Iarocci sent a letter to Monroe and the Trumbull County commissioners April 25 saying Ashtabula County intended to create its own drug- enforcement task force.
But Iarocci, Lt. Terry Moisio and Chief Deputy Ronald Fenton of the Ashtabula County Sheriff’s office will recommend staying in TAG, Iarocci said Thurday.
Iarocci said he believes TAG has “been doing a great job in Ashtabula County already ... and with an improved and enhanced TAG unit, we believe we can do that, and we believe in partnership [with Trumbull County] we can do even better.”
Monroe said after the meeting he thinks Villanueva, a former Howland detective, will “hit the ground running,” and “I think you will see a dramatic increase in our enforcement efforts.”
Trumbull and Ashtabula counties have partnered in TAG since 2001. The unit consists of seven full-time officers, including Villanueva and Leonard.
Apparently one of the philosophical differences between Monroe and Orr was their views on how much law-enforcement resources to devote to helping addicts get treatment. Orr has focused a great deal on it.
Monroe reiterated Thursday that help for addicts involves “community sanctions” after conviction. “Our role is to enforce the drug laws in the state of Ohio, and that’s what we’re going to do.”
Monroe said hard work will be done to arrest drug dealers, but addicts go to jail because they commit felonies.
“You have to address how addicts end up in our [jail]. They’re not just addicts. They are committing other felonies. They are committing felonies against other persons.
“They are addicts who are committing burglaries and robberies. And there is a consequence for your actions in our society, and they are going to have to face that consequence.”
Monroe said short-term efforts to cure addiction are not working.
“Our health care professionals will tell you ... it takes a year and a half to two years [for addicts] to try to readjust and have your brain receptors start functioning properly where there isn’t a relapse,” he said.
“If we come up with some 30-, 60-, 90-day cure, that’s all it is is a short-term fix. We need to look to our Legislature to come up with some long-term solution.”