Pubdate: Sun, 04 Jun 2006
Source: Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal (Tupelo, MS)
Copyright: 2006 Journal Publishing Company
Contact:  http://www.djournal.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/823

DRUG-LAW ENFORCEMENT

Guntown's unexpected withdrawal from a cooperative drug  law 
enforcement task force that includes all other Lee  County 
municipalities and extends into the region needs  re-examination and 
renewed conversation with the Lee  County Sheriff's Department.

There's no reason to doubt Guntown's claims that its  drug-law 
enforcement needs have increased, and that is  unfortunate. But it is 
equally necessary to view  enforcement in the larger regional 
framework of  available resources and demands.

Illegal drug sale and manufacturing is a big problem  across 
Northeast Mississippi, and it just plain makes  sense for all the law 
enforcement agencies to pool  information and share resources in 
common enforcement  ventures. The problem is larger than any 
individual  town, and beating the problem requires full interaction.

It doesn't make sense for any municipality, regardless  of size, to 
use its own resources in enhanced drug-law  enforcement when the full 
financial burden can be a  regional undertaking.

If Guntown has a growing drug problem, a way to devote  more of the 
regional narcotics task force's energy to  that area can be worked out.

Guntown is growing in all directions, and its police  energies and 
resources needn't be spent on a challenge  that's already funded at 
another level.

We hope the two sides sit down very soon and work out  whatever 
difficulties lie underneath this break in  cooperation and communications.
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MAP posted-by: Beth Wehrman