Salem will pay $363,810 to beef up the fight against the meth epidemic. The Salem City Council voted Monday to add four police officers dedicated to drug crime to the coming 2004-2005 budget. The council raided the city's $2 million contingency fund to pay for the officers, who will cost $363,810. Mayor Janet Taylor made the motion, arguing that the methamphetamine epidemic in Salem demands more police action. "This needs to get stopped now," she said. The additional officers were a last-minute tweak to the $87 million general-fund budget proposed for 2004-05. The council will vote on the budget at Monday's meeting. [continues 345 words]
Two grams of marijuana were reportedly taken from a truck. Dennis Osbourn retrieved his missing marijuana from an unusual place Thursday =8B the Salem Police Department. Osbourn, a medical marijuana user, reported the two grams of weed stolen Tuesday from his truck in the parking lot of The Home Depot. An officer recovered the pot a day later. Lt. Bill Kohlmeyer said police returned it to its rightful owner because Osbourn is legally allowed to use it. `I think the police did a very, very good job of handling this,' Osbourn, 38, said. `Within two days they had my stuff back.' [continues 346 words]
