JOINT LAW EFFORT AIMS TO SWEEP STREETS CLEAN OF DRUGS

A new joint federal, state and local initiative is under way in Jackson and
Vicksburg to sweep illegal drug users off the streets.

"The individual drug user is a big part of our nation's drug problem,"
Southern District U.S. Attorney Dunn Lampton said during a news conference
today in Jackson.

"Without the demand for illegal drugs, there would be no drug cartels, no
property crimes to finance an addict's drug habit, no turf wars over who
sells drugs where, and no deaths on our highways caused by drivers impaired
by drugs."

Lampton, federal, state and local law enforcement, and prosecutors from
Hinds and Warren counties announced drug users will be targeted along with
drug traffickers in the new initiative "Operation Clean Sweep."

The initiative has already resulted in 165 arrests, with 121 of those drug
related in a 20-day period from Feb. 1 through Feb 20 in the two counties.

Drug Enforcement Administration Assistant Special Agent Marshall Fisher
warned that the operation isn't over. He said a second phase is planned,
but he wouldn't provide details on when and where.

"This signals a change in how we do business," Fisher said.

In the past, authorities haven't put forth much effort on stamping out the
street-level users of drugs, officials said.

Fisher warns that a sting operation could be used to catch illegal drug users.

Jackson Police Chief Robert Moore said he welcomes all the law enforcement
help he can get. He said crime is down in Jackson, and he said some of it
can be attributed to cooperation among area law enforcement.

Of the 165 "Operation Clean Sweep" arrests, 133 were in Jackson.
Twenty-eight of those were in the Weed and Seed area off downtown. That
area is where federal funds are used to help weed out crime and seed the
area with new opportunities.

Vicksburg Police Chief Tommy Moffett said there were 28 felony arrests in
his city in the 20 days of "Operation Clean Sweep."

Moffett said that is significant. He said during a normal month, there are
days the city doesn't record a felony arrest of any kind.

"Every drug case is significant," Moffett said, noting that many property
crimes are committed by drug users.