CANDIDATES READY TO TACKLE METH LAB PROBLEMS

Candidates All Have Experience In Law Enforcement

Two former law enforcement officers and one current one are trying be the
long arm of the law that cracks down on Putnam County's growing drug problem.

While all three candidates for Putnam County sheriff had independent ideas
on what top priorities they would pursue in the office, all three agreed
that something would have to be done to get drugs, especially
methamphetamine, under control in the county.

"These people can convert a $500 investment into $5,000 a day," said John
Dailey, Putnam County's chief sheriff's deputy, during a Daily Mail
editorial board meeting on Friday. "With taxes and the economy not so good,
people are making money in illegal ways."

Dailey, a Democrat from Bancroft, said deputies discovered 28 meth labs in
2003, double what they found in 2002. He said this year, the department is
already on track to exceed last year's number.

To combat the meth labs, Dailey, who has been in Putnam County law
enforcement for more than 25 years, said he needs more deputies.

"We could have seven officers working seven days a week just on meth labs,"
Dailey said.

He said there are plenty of grants available for hiring new deputies, but
many of them expire after three years, leaving the county to make up the
difference later.

Dailey, 44, said that the current sheriff's office maintains a good
relationship with the County Commission, a relationship he plans to continue.

Dailey will face Bill Mullins, a retired Putnam County sheriff's deputy and
former Hurricane police chief, in the primary in May.

Mullins said he would like to fight the drug problem by promoting
educational programs in schools.

"It's about educating the young people about the dangers of drugs and
alcohol and tobacco use," Mullins said. "I'd like to continue the good work
the sheriff's department already does."

Mullins, 54, has some non-drug related ideas of his own. He wants to bring
more computers in to the sheriff's office to make police work more efficient.

"Computers are valuable to police work," Mullins said. "There are tools
that are necessary in police work, and computers are more efficient in
crime investigation."

He said in addition to the drug problem, crime, such as burglary and
vandalism, are up in rural areas of the county, a problem he plans to
handle by stepping up patrols in more remote parts of Putnam County.

Both Democrats are planning on spending very little money on their
campaigns, relying on signs around the county in Dailey's case and
grass-roots efforts in Mullins' case.