Police tip line seeks info on illegal drug activity BY KATHY BARATTA Staff Writer MANALAPAN - The township Police Department has established a narcotics tip line within its Investigations Bureau. Manalapan police Sgt. Robert Rushnak said the idea for a narcotics tip line was conceived by the department in an effort to encourage residents who are aware of drug activity or other illegal activities taking place in the community to report those activities to law enforcement authorities. Rushnak said anyone who has information that could help police initiate an investigation or make progress with ongoing investigations of illegal drugs or illegal activities should call two special numbers that have been set up for the purposes of the tip line. The telephone numbers are (732) 446- 8389 and (732) 446-8385 and will be answered by Detective Mike Ratta and Detective Tom Mantle. Rushnak said all calls will anonymous. He said Mantle and Ratta have attended narcotics training and both officers have spent time assigned to the Monmouth County Narcotics Strike Force. Messages can also be left on either of the tip line numbers and Rushnak reiterated that any information provided will remain anonymous. He said the tip lines can be used to report information about any type of crime, not just narcotics. Lisa Harmon Mollicone, who is the coordinator for the Manalapan-Englishtown Community Alliance to Prevent Alcoholism and Drug Abuse, said she welcomes the use of a tip line because police, parents and other concerned adults need all they help they can get to stay abreast of the problems young people face and how they sometimes try and deal with them. Mollicone said young people have more access to drugs now than ever before because of the presence of the Internet. She said young people have access to prescription drugs in their home and the homes of friends, and she noted that more teenagers are drinking in their own home and the homes of their friends. She believes most parents are unaware of the illicit activities that are taking place in their home and the homes of their neighbors. "Manalapan and Englishtown have a drug and alcohol problem that must be addressed further. The alcohol and heroin treatment admission rates for the towns are something that must not be overlooked. More training and awareness for parents, schools and the community is necessary. More treatment availability is a must. It appears that the people who are getting treatment are over age 18. Treatment needs to be made available and utilized earlier," Mollicone said.M ollicone said parents must be aware of a new type of get-together that young people call a "pharming" party. Youths who attend a "pharming" party ingest pills they have taken from their parents' medicine cabinet, drawers or pocketbooks. The pilfered pills are tossed into a bowl and the party-goers reach in and swallow whatever pill they pull out of the bowl, she said. "Which means there could be anything in there; from hard drugs to mom's birth control pills and nobody knows what they're taking," Mollicone said. She said the problem of drug abuse and alcohol abuse has always been present in the community, but added that the residents of Manalapan and Englishtown are lucky because they reside in proactive communities. "The municipal officials, police officers and the school district have all taken a proactive stance in addressing the drug and alcohol problems in the community," she explained. Mollicone said she hopes residents who have access to Manalapan's municipal channel 77 will watch it for program announcements sponsored by the community alliance that will inform them of initiatives and keep parents informed of the newest party trends. Mollicone also said the problem of drinking and drug parties in Manalapan and Englishtown is no greater than any other similar community in the state, a statement backed up by Rushnak who said Mollicone was absolutely correct in her information. A program called "Parents Who Host Lose The Most" will be held on May 12 at Manalapan High School, Church Lane, Manalapan, from 6:30-8:30 p.m. Residents of all communities are welcome to attend. Mollicone said one of the speakers will be attorney Robert Honecker Jr., who was an assistant Monmouth County prosecutor for more than 20 years. She said parents will learn about the consequences they may face if they host a party for teenagers in their home and alcohol is served, as well as the liability faced by parents even if they were unaware a party were taking place in their home.