LOCAL DRUG CASES FILLING OUR COURT SYSTEM

U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft says violent crime statistics are
the lowest in 30 years. However, Tazewell County Commonwealth Attorney
Dennis Lee disagrees. He says violent crime rates have been steady for
the past 12 years.

Lee said Tazewell County hasn't had as many murders and robberies as
most of the surrounding counties but when he looks at drug
distribution charges, which are classified as violent crimes, there
has been a significant increase.

Most area law enforcement offices report drug violations are growing
almost month by month.

Across the county line in Mercer, the story is the same. Judge John
Frazier recently reported the number of drug cases in the local court
system have increased dramatically.

The statistics speak for themselves. More law enforcement needs to be
assigned to drug prevention, investigation and arrests. That means we
need more police officers employed in Four Seasons Country and they
need to have higher salary bases in order to have the very best
protecting our area.

For too long, money has been put in areas not nearly as important as
the work done by men and women who daily put their lives on the line
when they report to work.

We are spending a great deal of money on the local level - by states
and the national government - in prisons and jails. We could save that
money if we concentrated on crime prevention instead of incarceration.