A REAL 'BUST'

Narcotics Bureau Rides Again?

The Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics has long had the reputation of being
something of a rogue agency in state law enforcement, outside the bounds of
normal protocols.

It certainly hasn't helped its cause with the embarrassment coming to light
of MBN searching the homes of two Yazoo County lawmen March 18, based on an
unsubstantiated tip and leading to a seething Sheriff James Williams.

"The search warrant was bogus. I don't know what they were looking for, and
it caused the guys a lot of embarrassment," Williams said, predicting:
"There will be a lot of mistrust with the MBN. They are supposed to be
helping us, and it seems like they are trying to bust us."

What's surprising is that as one of his first acts, Gov. Haley Barbour
restructured the bureau under the Department of Public Safety to counter
its rogue reputation and boost interaction with local law enforcement as
part of what he envisioned as an overall state crime-fighting effort.

MBN was to be more professional under Barbour's appointees: Public Safety
Commissioner Rusty Fortenberry and Bureau of Narcotics Director George
Phillips, who as a former U.S. attorney for south Mississippi should know
something about properly obtaining warrants and ensuring tips are rock
solid before acting on them.

It would help the drug "war" if all were on the same side.