DRUG WAR GOES TO THE DOGS

Oak Grove resident Sam Moore said he loves his community's reputation for
great development and "fine living."

But there's another reputation he's not too fond of.

"A few bad apples got people calling my home Dope Grove," he said. "Maybe
if we took those dopes out of Oak Grove, we wouldn't have that name."

Oak Grove is not the only Lamar County area with its share of drug
problems. So far, 76 drug arrests were made countywide between Jan. 1 and
March 31 this year.

Four major drug busts were made between March 27 and April 19 along Lamar
County's portion of Interstate 59. The busts resulted in the confiscation
of 348 pounds of marijuana and the arrests of seven people.

Lamar County Sheriff Danny Rigel attributed the arrests to the addition of
three drug dogs which help his department better patrol the major southeast
corridor. The department added its first drug dog, Raudi, in September.
Maik joined the department in November and Cairo joined the force two weeks
ago.

"It's like having a two-man patrol," said Rigel, who added the dogs
regularly escort their designated handlers on patrol.

Rigel said the recent busts resulted from routine traffic stops.

"The primary target is safety for motorists along the interstate," Rigel
said, noting drug traffickers often use Interstate 59 which begins in
Alton, La., and ends in Lookout Mountain, Ga. The 711-mile highway meanders
through Louisiana, Alabama, Georgia and Mississippi. Heavy traffic on the
interstate leads to a high number of drug arrests, but Rigel said emphasis
is being placed on all areas of the county.

"We're making a concerted effort to target as much of the narcotics in
Lamar County as we can," he said.

Rigel said that based on his observations, drug arrests in the county have
increased.

"We have these dogs now, a way of detecting drugs we never had before,"
Rigel said.

Rigel said he could not make actual comparisons to previous years based on
statistics because of changes in reporting arrests. Jail dockets have been
used to tabulate the arrests. He said anyone who possessed narcotics was
placed in jail in the past.

Now the deputies give citations and court summones to those charged with a
misdemeanor, so the jail tally is not reflective of those. Only people
stopped on more serious charges are arrested and jailed.

"The actual number (of drug arrests) would be higher," Rigel said.