DRUG TASK FORCE ASKS GOV. PERRY'S OFFICE FOR GRANT MONEY

SAN ANTONIO (AP) - A local drug task force is asking Gov. Rick Perry to
overturn his office's recent decision to remove funding to the four-county
agency.

The 25th Judicial District task force covers Guadalupe, Gonzales, Lavaca
and Colorado counties.

It was denied funding after a Department of Public Safety review found it
to be out of compliance with rules, Perry spokesman Gene Acuna said in
Sunday editions of the San Antonio Express-News.

A task force officer recently was fired and faces criminal charges after
stereo equipment was removed from a task force vehicle, the newspaper reported.

DPS spokesman Tom Vinger would not provide specifics, saying only that the
task force was out of compliance with "operation, reporting and evidence
handling procedures."

Acuna said the task force was one of four that were denied funding for the
coming year. Guadalupe County Sheriff Arnold Zwicke said his office would
do what it could to get the money back.

"We recently received a letter informing us that we lost the funding,"
Zwicke said. "There was no explanation, so we don't know what went wrong.
But we are not giving up hope. I'm trying to get an appointment in Austin
to find out why and see if we can keep it going."

The criminal justice division of the governor's office supplied about
$400,000 a year to fund the 25th Judicial District Drug task force.

The funds had been administered by the city of Seguin but were going to be
switched over to the Guadalupe County Sheriff's Department for the coming
year, Zwicke said.

Acuna said he was not sure there was an option to restoring the funds,
saying notification was sent out Tuesday to all the task forces getting
funding for the coming year.

Zwicke said he would try to keep the task force going with local funds even
if the state refuses to reinstate the grant money.

"Drugs are a huge problem that need to be addressed," Zwicke said. "This
task force gave us seven extra officers to address the problem. If we lose
the task force, I would try to keep up a joint effort with the cities and
counties. It would require everyone to participate and I don't know if the
other counties would have the money. But we are going to keep fighting
drugs one way or the other."