Pubdate: Thu, 08 May 2003
Source: Neshoba Democrat, The (MS)
Copyright: 2003 The Neshoba Democrat
Contact:  http://www.neshobademocrat.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1774

TOUGH ON DRUGS

To Effectively Fight, Resources Must Be Committed To Battle

One way to ensure that the quality of life remains uncompromised in 
Philadelphia and Neshoba County is to stay tough on drugs.

The Board of Supervisors affirmed its stance last week when members voted 
to renew membership in the Tri-County Narcotics Task Force.

The task force was responsible recently for breaking up and successfully 
prosecuting members of one of the largest prescription drug rings in the 
Southeast that was being run out of a communal compound in rural Neshoba 
County.

As shocking as that revelation was, it was really not. Big-time drug 
dealers have long been rumored to operate in these parts and over the years 
law enforcement has been successful at nabbing a few of the players. But 
the truth is, manpower is short and dollars are few. And that's why the 
task force has been so helpful to Neshoba County.

Now granted there might be other ways to fight drugs more effectively, and 
committing more local resources to the effort would be one. That of course 
would entail hiring more officers, buying more equipment and better 
training, all of which are attainable with the support of both elected 
officials and citizens.

But it's clear that a task force focused solely on drugs can be effective. 
Neshoba County Sheriff Glen Waddell told supervisors that that particular 
drug ring could have never been successfully prosecuted without the 
resources afforded by the task force.

We can't portend to know what challenges await on the drug front nor can we 
say with certainty how deep the problem is here. But we do know that with 
special law enforcement units like the task force and by committing more 
local funds to drug interdiction officials can't go wrong. Sheriff's 
deputies, Waddell said, are stretched pretty thin, spending a great deal of 
time with domestic issues and court proceedings, among other things.

There's probably not a law enforcement agency in the nation that could not 
use a few more officers, but the Sheriff raised some grave concerns. How 
many sheriff's deputies are enough? How many police officers? Could we ever 
see the day when there was, say, combined city-county detective or drug 
divisions? Imagine the efficiency!

The primary aim is to be tough on crime and that requires resources and 
commitment that so far we have seen in Philadelphia and Neshoba County.
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MAP posted-by: Terry Liittschwager