YOU CAN HELP: WANT DRUGS OUT OF YOUR COMMUNITY?

Keep Watch

It is staggering to think that millions of dollars of marijuana has been
growing in Wayne County, but, unfortunately, probably not all that out of
the ordinary.

Many rural counties deal with this sort of problem.

As criminals become more clever and more diverse, it gets harder and harder
to make sure they are stopped before they are able to get drugs into Wayne
County's neighborhoods and schools. And there is a cost involved, too.
Staking out a field is not a very efficient use of a deputy's time when
there are other, more serious threats to public safety and much more
dangerous drug dealers to locate, catch and put out of business.

So, while we need to catch those responsible for planting marijuana, there
is not really much we can do that is cost-effective.

But that doesn't mean property owners should be off the hook, either. They
have a responsibility, too.

There is nothing wrong with asking property owners to keep an eye on their
land and to educate them on what to look for. If they find something
suspicious, they can call the county sheriff's office and give the deputies
the heads up that there could be a marijuana crop that needs to be eradicated.

If dealers and growers know more people are watching, they might think
twice about locating fields here. And that means less tax money will need
to be spent locating and destroying fields - and deputies can concentrate
on other criminal activity.

In this case, the more eyes watching, the lower the bill.