RAMPING UP DRUG ENFORCEMENT IN THE AREA

The Lamar County Attorney's Office currently has no pending cases
involving methamphetamine labs. That's sounds like a good thing
until it is understood that part of the reason for the lack of cases
is a lack of drug enforcement in Paris and Lamar County in recent
years.

New laws making pseudoephedrine more difficult to obtain have
discouraged some meth makers, but certainly not all. However, there
hasn't been anyone to catch those who were not discouraged since
funding for the Red River Valley Drug Task Force was taken away and
Police Chief Karl Lewis had to put the Paris Police Department's
entire Narcotics Division on patrol duty because of a prolonged
manpower shortage.

What is really sad is that the drug enforcement retreat came just as
Paris and Lamar County were beginning to make a dent in the local
drug trade. With the help of federal law enforcement agents and on
their own, narcotics officers had taken down some major players and
were beginning to get this community cleaned up.

We're pleased to say that prosecutors with the Lamar County
Attorney's Office are about to get a lot busier, not that they
haven't had other criminal cases to prosecute. PPD's Narcotics
Division officers are back on the streets and the proposed Felony
Crime Unit, which replaces the drug task force, is expected to be
mobilized this month.

"I think the community will benefit from it because we will see a lot
more drug cases dealt with again," Louis said.

We think it is great for the community, too. In fact, it may be even
better for Lamar County than the days of the drug task force. While
PPD's Narcotics Division focuses on Paris, the Felony Crimes Unit
will focus strictly on Lamar County, not a whole bunch of counties
like the drug task force did. Illegal drug makers, distributors and
users are going to feel the heat because officers won't be so spread
so thin.

And Felony Crime Unit officers won't be limited in their scope. The
drug trade often leads to or is associated with other criminal
elements, like gang activity, gun-running, burglary, theft and
organized crime. The unit is designed to focus on all felony crime
- -- the worst crimes against persons.

We also see renewed cooperation with federal and state law
enforcement agencies that are sure to put an even tighter squeeze on
illegal drug makers and other criminals. For example, a $228,000
grant is making the Felony Crime Unit possible and the unit is
working on a deal with the Federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco,
Firearms and Explosives to crack down on gun-related cases.

We agree with Lamar County Sheriff B.J. McCoy who predicts the Felony
Crime Unit to be a "win-win situation for the citizens of Lamar County."

Our expectations are high as the PPD's Narcotics Division ramps up
and the Felony Crimes Unit gets ready to hit the streets. We
appreciate the cooperation we see between city, county, state and
federal law enforcement officers, and we look forward to the
prosecution of more drug and drug-related felony crimes in Lamar County.