SHERIFF'S OFFICE LEAVING FADE

One Carter County law enforcement agency is withdrawing from the FIVCO Area
Drug Enforcement Task Force.

However, another may be waiting in the wings to take its place.

The Carter County Sheriff's Department, a member of the multi-county
drug task force for about four years, will end its participation,
Sheriff Kevin "Mooch" McDavid said.

"Basically, it just came down to budgetary problems," he said. "I hate
to drop out of FADE. It's a wonderful program and anything I can do to
keep us in it, I will."

McDavid said pulling out of FADE was mentioned when the fiscal court
recently authorized funds for him to hire two additional road
deputies. He said he was told the county "couldn't afford to do both."

Agencies participating in FADE are required to contribute one officer
to the task force. The agencies are reimbursed for 50 percent of their
officers' salaries.

While he said he regretted having to leave FADE, McDavid said the two
new road deputies were "a major necessity" for his department.

Carter County Judge-Executive Charles Wallace said he had had no
direct discussions with McDavid concerning the sheriff's department
leaving FADE.

FADE Director Bob Jessie said he had not received official
notification that his department was leaving the task force. But he
said the agency had been "dormant" for the past several months in
terms of FADE participation.

Jessie said he offered the sheriff's department's slot in FADE to the
Olive Hill Police Department. He pitched the program to the city
council at a meeting Tuesday night, and he said the council "seemed to
be real receptive" to joining.

The only hitch, according to Jessie, is that Olive Hill would not
receive the full 50 percent reimbursement this year because it would
be occupying the slot budgeted for the sheriff's department, and Olive
Hill pays its officers slightly more than the sheriff's department.

"It's not a huge difference, maybe 50-75 cents an hour," he
said.

Olive Hill would be eligible to receive the full 50 percent
reimbursement after FADE begins its new budget cycle in July, Jessie
said.

Jessie said he had already gotten permission to transfer the sheriff's
department funding to Olive Hill. However, the city can't join until
the sheriff's department officially withdraws, he said.

He said he felt the task force was needed on the western end of Carter
County.

"We did 61 cases there last year and they're not even a member," he
said. "A lot of drugs come in there from other areas."

Olive Hill Mayor Danny Sparks couldn't be reached for comment
Friday.

FADE's other member agencies include the Flatwoods, Grayson, Raceland
and Russell police departments, the Elliott County Sheriff's
Department, and the commonwealth's attorney's office for the 37th
Judicial District counties of Carter, Elliott and Morgan.