DRUG TASK FORCE REFOCUSES ITS AREA RESOURCES

Strengthened Effort Already Has Resulted In Half-Dozen Arrests.

A area task force that has had a hand in putting about 675 people in jail
on drug charges in the past 3 years has retooled its efforts to include
more manpower and drug-sniffing dogs that should enable it to be even more
aggressive in ridding neighborhoods of illegal drugs, officials say.

The 675 arrests by Tri-Parish Drug Task Force is just a "guesstimation,"
according to DeSoto sheriff's Lt. Pat Cobbs, who supervises the group
comprised of DeSoto, Red River and Sabine law enforcement officers.

The effort that resulted in an average of about 225 arrests a year in the
three parishes was deemed successful by authorities. But the task force
hopes to do more.

"We're just multitasking our resources," Cobbs said.

"It's going to involve the same people, but we're just taking a different
approach."

In the past, the task force typically focused on major offenders. That's
because surveillance, intelligence gathering, search warrants and
undercover operations often take weeks or months before resulting in
arrests, according to DeSoto sheriff's Sgt. Horace Womack, a task force member.

But most of the calls and complaints fielded by the participating law
enforcement agencies stem from street-corner activity involving those who
use, buy or sell drugs in neighborhoods, he said.

"These are the suspects the public sees and complains about. Oftentimes,
the local officers are not able to spend a lot of time working these
complaints due to responding to other calls for service."

By adding the expertise of deputies trained in criminal patrol and highway
interdiction, the task force will be able to combat the areas from which
complaints surface, Cobbs said.

Also boosting the redirection of resources is the addition of two full-time
drug dogs and a part-time drug dog and their handlers. DeSoto sheriff's
Cpl. Keith Banta and his canine and Red River sheriff's Deputy John Mafouz
and his canine are assigned to the task force full time. The Sabine
sheriff's office, which recently acquired a narcotics dog, will make it
available part time.

The new approach recently was tested in Red River, where three people were
arrested on various drug charges. Task force agents worked hand in hand
with Red River sheriff's deputies and Coushatta police on a special detail
in a community where illegal drug activity has been reported. The effort
also collared a Coushatta man who was wanted on several outstanding
warrants, Cobbs said.

Red River Sheriff Johnny Ray Norman is pleased to see the extra attention.
His small office has relied heavily on the task force since his deputies
cannot devote their attention solely to drug investigations. But Norman
assigned Mafouz full time to the task force and likes the results he's
seen. "Sometime I would feel like (the task force) was not doing as much as
it could here."

Since then, the task force again zeroed in on Logansport, where ongoing
complaints netted three arrests and the seizure of 40 rocks of crack
cocaine, marijuana, prescription medications, electronic scales, packaging
materials and $351.