Pubdate: Sat, 21 May 2005
Source: Hattiesburg American (MS)
Copyright: 2005 Hattiesburg American
Contact:  http://www.hattiesburgamerican.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1646
Author: Reuben Mees
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/dare.htm (D.A.R.E.)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/af.htm (Asset Forfeiture)

DRUG MONEY HELPS FIGHT CRIME

PURVIS - Lamar County Sheriff's Office will keep its DARE program solvent, 
buy several new cruisers and pay for other expenses - all without asking 
taxpayers for a dime.

The money to pay for the projects will come from the seizure of a large 
amount of cash in an August traffic stop on Interstate 59.

Derryle Smith of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency on Friday gave Lamar 
County Sheriff Danny Rigel $195,315 of the original $244,220 that was 
seized in the stop. The remainder of the money goes to the DEA.

"The best thing about this is we can use drug money - or money that was 
gotten illegally - to help fight drugs at no cost to taxpayers," Rigel said.

During an Aug. 17 traffic stop for improper lane usage, improper equipment 
and an expired registration, deputies searched a 2000 Honda Civic and found 
the money packed in shoe boxes in the trunk.

The DEA is still pursuing a case against the Canadian citizen who was 
driving the vehicle, but declined to identify him because his case has not 
yet been considered by a grand jury for possible indictment. Smith said 
forfeiture of the money was not contested.

The money will allow the sheriff's office to continue to provide the DARE 
program, or Drug Abuse Resistance Education, at Lamar County's four 
elementary schools.

At Sumrall Elementary School, where the fifth-grade class graduated from 
the DARE program Friday, Principal Danny Sumrall said he is pleased to know 
the program will continue.

"If they can find anything to fund this program, I would be more than happy 
to have it back in my school," Sumrall said. "The more information these 
kids have, the better the chance they will choose to not follow along this 
path."

Rigel said the DARE program, which is in its first year, was started with 
one-time funding from DARE International.

"We've had nothing but rave reviews about seeing something like this in 
schools," he said. "The younger we get the word out, the better our 
prevention of drug use will be."

Rigel also said he would like to use the money to buy new cruisers and 
maintain the current fleet.

"This is money that isn't budgeted but can be used for just about anything 
we might need," he said.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom