Governor presents federal grant to drug task force Gov. James Doyle announces a grant to help combat illegal drugs in Brown County during a news conference Tuesday in Green Bay (photo by H. Marc Larson). New funds used to hire more officers By Anna Krejci News-Chronicle The Brown County Drug Taskforce will get some help from the federal government in its efforts to prevent the selling and buying of illegal drugs. Gov. Jim Doyle presented a $184,000 federal grant to the taskforce for that purpose Tuesday. "This money goes to the men and women of law enforcement to combat the use of illegal drugs and stop violent crime," Doyle said. He commended the work of law enforcement officers whose work, he said, helps create a positive future for children. The Edward Byrne Memorial Grant will be used in the hiring of three law enforcement officers relegated to fighting drug use. The grant is administered through the office of justice assistance and has been in existence since the 1988 Anti-Drug Abuse Act, according to the Bureau of Justice Assistance Web site. The grant's amount varies andBrown County has receieved as much as $200,000, according to Brown County Sheriff Dennis Kocken. The federal grant is distributed to agencies based on performance standards, including the number of arrests made in a year. In 2002, there were 226 drug investigations and 253 drug-related arrests, according to the Brown County Sheriff's Department Web site. In 2003 local law enforcement agencies had confiscated drugs that had a street value equivalent to more than $1.5 million, Kocken said. Tom Molitor, director of the Brown County Drug Taskforce, said the community is facing an "abundance" of drugs on the street. "When people finally decide they have enough and just say 'no' to drugs, our job is going to be a lot easier," Molitor said. The task force approaches the drug problem by reducing drug suppliers and by educating the public about the dangers of drugs. The high value of drugs in Green Bay attracts drug dealers from Milwaukee and Chicago who, if arrested, will always be replaced by other drug dealers, Molitor said. "The root of the problem is handling the demand," he said. While the impact of drug prevention education might not be measured by statistics, it is important, he said.