ARRESTS CONTINUE IN DRUG STING

The Prattville Police Department continues to make arrests as part of a
two-year undercover drug operation.

Last week the Police Department, along with the Autauga County's Sheriff
Department and Central Alabama Drug Task Force, served 10 search warrants
in Prattville and one in Autauga County, Police Chief Alfred Wadsworth said.

The effort yielded 40 drug cases against 17 people, of whom "most are
users," the chief said.

Nine suspects had been arrested by Tuesday, with warrants outstanding on
eight others. The operation netted a range of drugs with a street value of
more than $10,000.

In fact, authorities were so busy working the cases, Wadsworth delayed
making press releases last week because information was changing several
times a day.

"Some of these recent cases were the result of the undercover operation,
and some were cases we built with new information," he said. "We have
seized a large amount of illegal drugs, such as marijuana and cocaine, but
we have also seized a large quantity of prescription drugs which had been
illegally obtained."

Authorities also seized cash and a 1998 Chevrolet pickup.

The abuse of prescription drugs, which range from antidepressants to
painkillers, is difficult to track, Wadsworth said.

"We are seeing more and more of what we call 'script' cases,'" he said.

"People often alter legal prescriptions. Say a doctor prescribes 10 pills,
and the user changes the prescription to read more. Or they may steal
prescription pads from a doctor's office and forge a prescription or walk
away with drug samples from a medical office."

Police are working with the community to try and get a handle on
prescription drug abuse.

"We are developing close relationships with all the doctors and drugstores
in town," Wadsworth said. "We are telling them what to be on the lookout
for and how to prevent problems from coming up."

The undercover operation so far has resulted in 222 cases against 118
people. Police records show 42 people have been arrested and another 76
have outstanding warrants.

"I guess there are drug problems everywhere you go," said Josh Murphy of
Prattville. "It's kind of shocking, the numbers of cases the police have
handled, because you don't think of Prattville really having a crime problem."