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By ANTHONY COLAROSSI; Times Leader Staff Writer
Thursday, October 10, 1996     Page: 3A

It is a promise both Attorney General candidates can make without much
thought: The Municipal Drug Task Force program needs better management to
avoid allegations of favoritism and overspending.
   
But state Sen. Mike Fisher, the Republican candidate from Allegheny County,
and Joseph Kohn, the Democratic candidate and attorney from Chester County,
are not specifying how they intend to run the recently criticized task force
program more efficiently.
    The program, which funds overtime pay to participating members of local
police departments, was criticized for providing a limited number of officers
with excessive amounts of overtime.
   
Several task force officers in Wilkes-Barre and Duryea doubled their annual
incomes by participating in the program.
   
Outgoing Attorney General Tom Corbett has instituted some changes to the
system, including the consolidation of many task forces and limiting each
department’s participation . But because Corbett is leaving office, even his
recent restructuring is subject to change.
   
Both candidates said there will be some changes to the restructuring
Corbett instituted.
   
“You’re not going to see these types of abuses again,” said Fisher
Wednesday. “I can guarantee you, people won’t be doubling their salaries.”
   
Fisher favors a series of discussions between the attorney general’s
office, district attorneys, state police and local law enforcement officials
to generate ideas on how the task force program should be restructured.
   
He said having district attorneys administer the task force programs,
rather than members of the attorney general’s office, might provide a “better
check” on their fiscal management.
   
Should the responsibility be given to all district attorneys, Fisher said,
those offices should be compensated for their new responsibilities with state
task force funding.
   
Kohn also supports a discussion with local law enforcement officials. He
plans to use the task force system for fighting drugs and not building
political support.
   
“The task force concept was used by Ernie Preate to generate headlines,”
Kohn said of the former attorney general who greatly expanded the task force
program during his administration.
   
Preate pleaded guilty last year to mail fraud in connection with campaign
contributions from operators of illegal video poker machines. He is serving a
14-month sentence in federal prison.
   
“I’d like to see as much money as possible get back to the front line of
the war on drugs,” Kohn said, adding that he will maintain the task force’s $4
million in funding.
   
“You need to have some real management and accountability in that system,”
Kohn said. “We’re going to make sure we’re getting a bang for the buck.”
   
But Kohn refused to say specifically how the concentration of overtime
would be avoided and the efficient use of task force funds would be achieved.
   
Kohn and Fisher agree that the task forces might take different forms in
different locations. In one area a task force might be a regional operation,
while in another, it might be exclusive to one county, they said.