www.lousblues.com/peoefpr.html -
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Published on: 6/11/2000
Last Visited: 1/19/2002
Legislative Auditor Connie Kiriu, whom the County Council directed in December to investigate the eradication program, said she started the assignment about two weeks ago.
"We're still in the preliminary stages," Kiriu said Thursday."But we have made some contacts with the Poplice Department, and we're getting documents ready to review.We're in good shape."
However, some marijuana advocates, who have alleged the program is being grossly mismanaged, disagreed with Kiriu's assessment.
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Kiriu said she was delayed in beginning the study because her staff first had to finish auditing the county's glass recycling program, complete a time-consuming review of the Zoning Code and also become adjusted to new positions.
Kiriu, who estimated at least 400 hours of staff time will be needed to finish studying the county's marijuana eradication program, said she does not know when the project will be completed.
The council did not set a deadline to finish the investigation when it adopted a resolution directing Kiriu and her staff to conduct the study and report their findings.
The "special study" is to examine six points, including whether the Police Department met the objectives of the federal eradication grants that, along with county funds, totaled $339,000 for the period from January 1997 through June 1998.
How the money was spent, if police have internal controls for confiscating marijuana and also how the department handles public complaints of aerial eradication missions also are to be part of the study.
Those against the eradication missions have claimed the use of helicopters creates privacy invasions, harms livestock and results in a safety hazard should a malfunction occur with one of the low-flying helicopters.