STATE GRANT FUNDS COUNTY DRUG TASK FORCE THIS YEAR

A grant from the state will fund the Lawrence County Drug and Violent
Crime Task Force for another year.

The $50,000 grant, signed by Gov. Bob Riley, comes from funds made
available to the state by the U.S. Department of Justice and
administered by the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs.

"Illegal drugs threaten the health and safety of Alabama Communities,"
Riley said, "The investigations and arrests conducted by the task
force send a clear message that drug distributors and pushers will not
be tolerated in Lawrence County."

Task force agents reduce drug-related crime by using informants,
undercover drug purchases and other intelligence-gathering techniques.
These efforts lead to the seizure of money, weapons and vehicles used
in illegal activities.

County officials say the number of methamphetamine labs in the county
has increased during the past year. The task force will focus its
efforts on finding and destroying the labs and arresting those who
make the drug.

Matching funds of at least $50,000 are also committed to the drug task
force.