The State - News from June 3, 1988

To create a drug free “zone of security” for students, a federal prosecutor in San Francisco unveiled a plan for aggressive prosecution of drug traffickers who deal within 1,000 feet of any school. The plan was a model created for the San Francisco United School District but will be presented to other U.S. attorneys and schools around the country, said U.S. Atty. Joseph Russoniello, the architect of the program. It would use existing federal laws to double the potential federal prison terms to up to 40 years for those caught trafficking within 1,000 feet of a school. Russoniello said the city must deal with the serious “crack” cocaine problem and the threat of youth gangs, specifically the Crips and Bloods in Los Angeles, “escaping that enclave and entering other cities.” The program calls for teachers to agree voluntarily to random drug testing “to demonstrate their commitment to a drug free environment.”