THE PITTSYLVANIA COUNTY SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT SHOULDN'T
ABANDON THE REGIONAL DRUG TASK FORCE

Most of us have absolutely no idea how drug dealers live their lives.
But every once in a while, we learn a little bit more, which, of
course, leads to even more questions, like this one: What's a
Pittsylvania County drug dealer doing with a house in Las Vegas? Or,
more to the point, how can a single county sheriff's department in the
Dan River Region keep up with drug dealers who can, and do, operate
over local, state and national borders?

That's why Pittsylvania County works with other Dan River Region
communities in a regional drug task force.Is it good enough? Hurt
Police Chief Ricky Moorefield doesn't think so. Moorefield is running
for county sheriff against two-term incumbent Harold Plaster. "We need
to take a more proactive stance against drugs," Moorefield said. "A
12-month investigation yielded only 16 arrests.

Do you call that a war on drugs?

What we are doing (working with regional task forces) is not working.
We need to try something else."Moorefield advocates going it alone.
The Pittsylvania County sheriff's department has charged four people
under the federal "Kingpin" law. The latest, 54-year-old William Henry
Brown, pleaded guilty to lesser charges rather than face a trial.

It was Brown who had the house in Las Vegas, and authorities believe
he ran the largest drug ring in county history.

Since Plaster took office in 1992, more than 400 people have been
charged with drug law violations.

Plaster is committed to working with other localities on drug
investigations, and with good reason. "A crime committed in Danville,
in 15 minutes can happen in Pittsylvania County," Plaster said. "We
have to be involved with other jurisdictions because we live in a
transient society."And, every once in a while, it's a dangerous
society - but usually not in Pittsylvania County.

The county's crime rate actually dropped during Plaster's first year
in office, according to the Virginia State Police publication, "Crime
in Virginia." Last year, the county's crime rate was the lowest in the
Dan River Region - and lower than what it was when Plaster took
office. Harold Plaster must be doing something right.

We've long stressed regional cooperation between governing bodies, but
local law enforcement agencies have been working closely together for
years, and the efforts have paid off. It will be up to county
residents to decide, but leaving the regional drug task force appears
to be an idea that would hurt the sheriff's department - and public
safety.