DRUG UNIT CELEBRATES 3 YEARS OF SUCCESS

LAKE WYLIE - The York County Multijurisdictional Drug Enforcement Unit
celebrated its third anniversary with steaks and statistics Tuesday. During
a luncheon at T-Bones on the Lake, York County officials and law
enforcement leaders praised the success of the unit, which operates beyond
jurisdictions.

Sixteenth Circuit Solicitor Tommy Pope noted that the unit began as a dream
and evolved from a grant. It is now a model program for counties around the
state, he said.

Along with Pope's address to the group, a multimedia presentation revisited
the history of the drug unit and its highlights.

In 1998, York County's law enforcement offices disbanded their narcotics
units and joined forces to create a team that fought drugs "collectively
instead of individually," said Rock Hill Police Chief Dave Fortson.

Sheriff Bruce Bryant, police chiefs and Pope have administrated over a team
of 21 undercover agents, four prosecutors, a secretary and a chemist.

Its officers hail from the sheriff's office as well as police departments
in Rock Hill, Fort Mill, Clover, Tega Cay and York, but the unit enforces
under a common badge.

"They represent us all, and they represent us all well," Pope said.

The team is led by Cmdr. Marvin Brown, an investigator for Pope's office
and the unanimous choice for the assignment.

The accomplishments of the unit range from stopping big hauls of marijuana
hidden in tractor-trailer trucks to catching crack dealers on street
corners to seizing thousands of dollars

Pope said the team is able to buy equipment from seized money. "We take the
money from out of the pockets of drug dealers."

Bryant credited the unit's success to the members of the unit, who "leave
their egos at the door" and work together.