11 of 18 state drug officers to be cut

The New York State Department of Health is poised to dramatically cut the number of investigators charged with fighting the illegal flow of prescription drugs if there is no contract agreement between the state and its second largest public employees union.

More than half -- 11 of 18 -- investigators in the Bureau of Narcotic Enforcement are set to be laid off if Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo and the Public Employees Federation can't come to terms. Nearly 3,500 workers across departments stand to lose their jobs after the union members last week rejected contract concessions.

While there is still some hope for a compromise between the governor and union, the proposed layoffs in the Bureau of Narcotic Enforcement come at the same time that prescription drug abuse is growing. Nationwide, the number of people entering rehab for addiction to opiates other than heroin -- largely prescription painkillers -- went up fourfold over the past decade, according to data from the federal Drug Enforcement Agency. The problem became tragically clear on Long Island when David Laffer killed four people in a pharmacy robbery last Father's Day.

"Long Island is dealing with a crisis of historic proportions," said Jeffrey Reynolds, the Long Island Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence's executive director. "There are some things we shouldn't cut this year."

The Bureau of Narcotic Enforcement's 18 investigators across the state work with both law enforcement and the health industry. They follow up on complaints, tips and data showing possible diversion of controlled substances. As peace officers, they can conduct searches and make arrests. "They're a valuable resource. They make our job easier," said Det. Lt. Peter Donohue of the Nassau County Police Department's narcotics and vice squad. "It just seems counterproductive."

The Department of Health had to propose 208 layoffs as part of the statewide reductions. However, it was up to the department's leadership to figure out where to cut, Jeffrey Gordon, a department spokesman, said.

Gordon said the department is proposing the cuts to the narcotics investigators as part of a refocusing of operations. He confirmed the number of investigators slated for layoff.

"The changes reflect the shift of enforcement priorities from a focus on street-level crime, which is appropriately handled by law enforcement, to a clear emphasis on the diversion of prescription drugs in the health care delivery system and interventions to reduce prescription drug addiction and abuse," according to a prepared statement Gordon provided to Newsday.

Gordon wasn't immediately able to provide additional details on how a refocused enforcement program would work.

Darcy Wells, a spokeswoman for the Public Employees Federation, said cutting the investigators would "cripple" the state's ability to combat the abuse of prescription drugs.

She doubted seven investigators could handle the entire state. "How would the work get done?" Wells asked.

The governor's office did not return calls for comment.