Drug Squad Gets Praise

The Washtenaw Área Narcotics Team (WANT) received a City Council Republican endorsement Monday night, following a partially unsuccessful attempt by Human Rights Party Councilwoman Kathleen Kozachenko to bring the activities of the drug squad into public debate. Kozachenko presented City Administrator Sylvester Murray with a list of questions she wanted Pólice Chief Walter N. Krasny to answer. The questions are reportedly a prelude to a forthcoming HRP sponsored resolution to ban the participation of city pólice in WANT activities. Murray, however, told Kozachenko that Krasny could not answer some of the, questions because the answers would "destroy" the effectiveness of WANT, which is made up of área pólice departÍ ments. The questionsKozachnko presented included inquiries into how many undercover agents are used, how many paid informants are used, what the "basic operational procedure" of WANT is and how it gets its information. Murray did not say which of the questions would not be answered, but did volunteer that the city's participation involves donating the time of two patrol oLficers. No other direct or indirect city financing is involved, Murray said. 1 Kozachenko said she would still seek answers to the questions, saying the public has a right to know the philosophy of WANT. The GOP endorsement came from Councilman. Louis D. Belcher, R-Fifth Ward, who said he was speaking for the Republican council majority. Referring to recent narcotics arrests by WANT, Belcher claimed the "HRP is losing itsJ constitutency and they want them back on the streets." Speaking for the Republicans, Belcher said "We'll support our local pólice in gëtting the users and dealers of hard drugs off the streets. If they (pólice) don't, they'll catch the wrath of the council majority." Republican Mayor James E. Stephenson also accused Kozachenko of "playing games" with the process of council members obtaining information through the administrator's office. He urged Murray to use his judgment "and not waste a lot of time" on the questions. Murray did not refuse to get answers" to all Kozachenko's questions, but he did say not all would be answered.