RYAN CALLS FOR IMMEDIATE ACTION ON S ABDICATED LEADERSHIP

NARCOTICS ENFORCEMENT SAYING DONOVAN HA

Mike Ryan, Democratic and Conservative candidate for Staten Island District Att orney, called for an immediate halt to the planned layoffs in the New York State Department of Health Bureau of Narcotic Enforcement and charged the incumbent d istrict attorney with abdicating leadership on the prescription drug abuse epide mic. We must fight the prescription drug epidemic at every turn and the chorus of bipa rtisan support to stop the layoffs is important in this battle. The District At torney as the chief law enforcement officer of Staten Island should be leading t he charge. Ryan contended. Numerous cases have been presented to Donovan and he has finally acknowledged the problem as an epidemic, but he has failed to call for more investigators in spite of his first hand knowledge of the depth of the problem, Ryan insisted, Donovan w as silent when the basic resources needed by these investigators were threatened . The incumbent District Attorney was satisfied with the status quo, Ryan continued, Donovan only joined the chorus of objections and indicated that he hopes the sta te can find a way to keep the investigators. Hope is not good enough. We need leadership and action. The clock is ticking on the careers of these investigators who may be gone by the end of the month; what is Donovans plan in the face of these layoffs? asked Ryan, Donovans demonstrated lack of leadership ability, gives us no reason to have any confidence that he will address this critical problem. To effectively combat the problem of prescription drug abuse, Staten Island needs a pro-active, not reactive district attorney, Ryan stated, I am professionally re ady and personally committed to lead the fight.

- 2 The work of this unit has proven to be essential to the effective apprehension of criminals who have created a prescription drug abuse epidemic on Staten Islan d, declared Ryan, and any consideration of lay offs in this unit will cripple eff ective enforcement when it is most needed. Agents of the Bureau of Narcotics Enforcement have brought numerous cases to suc cessful prosecution on Staten Island since 2008. These agents have specific and unique investigative powers under New York law and have developed expertise essential to initiating investigations and are working closely with other law enforcement agencies with great effect, Ryan stated, layo ffs would create a gap in this process that would take legislation and possibly years to replace. Narcotics enforcement is part of the Health Departments core mission declared Ryan, t hey are charged with that responsibility under the law and it is absurd and dang erous to thwart the work of this unit at the expense of the public. Dan Donovan cannot ignore this matter.