Pubdate: Tue, 08 Jun 2004
Source: Mississippi Press, The (MS)
Copyright: 2004 Mississippi Press
Contact:  http://www.gulflive.com/mississippipress/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2254
Author: Natalie Chambers,  The Mississippi Press
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/pot.htm (Cannabis)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/meth.htm (Methamphetamine)

DRUG GRANTS PAY OFF; BUT GAS PRICES HURT SHERIFF'S BUDGET

PASCAGOULA -- "Two drug enforcement grants are paying off but the rising 
cost of gas is causing an opposite effect," Sheriff Mike Byrd said Monday.

"We spent $26,000 on gas in a five-week period. This last week, our gas 
bill was $5,700. I don't know if it's going to get any better or what, but 
I just wanted to prepare you if we run short in that area," Byrd told 
Jackson County supervisors during their monthly meeting.

Byrd's department covered 139,765 miles last month.

Two grants are helping the department in drug fighting efforts.

The sheriff's department received $400,000 from the Department of Justice 
last year and this year, received $250,000. Byrd told supervisors during 
their monthly meeting Monday that his department plans to apply for 
$250,000 next year.

Byrd said the funding is needed "because of all the meth labs and 
meth-related cases we are working."

All but $25,000 of the two grants have been spent on drug-fighting equipment.

Byrd appeared before county supervisors discussing the transfer of funds to 
pay for equipment the department recently received.

He said $49,000 went toward the purchase of six all-terrain vehicles "we 
had to have to go into wooded areas to locate these meth labs and also to 
get us through those swampy areas that we may need to get to."

"We've gotten almost 400 meth labs since I've been sheriff," he said.

Byrd said the county will continue addressing the meth lab problem.

"We've received our trailer with all of our equipment in it. We have a 
trailer for working these meth labs now. These chemicals are very volatile. 
We got air packs, suits...all the stuff we need in this trailer to go in 
and work these meth labs. Because if you walk in and you have a red 
phosphorous lab, you're going to die, just that quick," he said.

Byrd said Jackson County surpassed Pensacola, Fla., with the most labs 
cleaned up.

Supervisor President John McKay said for Jackson County, surpassing 
Pensacola represents both good and bad news -- good in that the labs are 
being cleaned up, but bad in the number of labs that existed.

He said it "shows how bad off we are in our county."

A $15,000 marijuana eradication grant received two weeks ago pays for 
overtime for officers participating in the exercises.

During an operation last week, Jackson County Sheriff's Department, 
Narcotics Task Force of Jackson County, the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics 
Eradication Team and RAID Unit of the Mississippi National Guard, joined 
forces and seized 30 marijuana plants in a rural area of northeast Jackson 
County.

Byrd said the county's recently refurbished helicopter was used in the 
operation.

The plants -- located in a secluded, wooded area behind a house -- were in 
plastic containers protected by mesh wiring to prevent animals from getting 
the plants.
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