TEAMWORK HELPS GIVE US A SAFER COMMUNITY

Teamwork Is Important In Much Of What We Do Every Day.

In the morning parents divide the tasks that need to be done as the
day starts. The children have to be readied for school, and things run
much smoother if each parent does their part.

After the kids get on the bus or are dropped off at school, we head to
work and team up with others to accomplish the job at hand. Most
people must interact with fellow workers and customers on a daily
basis, and teamwork is essential to be efficient.

Later in the day, a coordinated effort will have to be made to get the
children to their after-school activities, back home again, cleaned
up, fed, helped with their homework and then put to bed.

Teamwork like this leads to trust, a confidence of those involved to
know they can always rely on each other.

With that trust comes solid results, such as the partnership of those
involved in the 4th Judicial Drug and Violent Crime Task Force. The
agents are from four counties: Sevier, Cocke, Grainger and Jefferson,
and they work closely with federal, state and local law enforcement
agencies.

This teamwork has produced some impressive results. Last year, the
task force arrested more than 60 people and seized drugs worth more
than $780,000. That's quite a few potentially dangerous people taken
off the streets and quite a bit of drugs - which could reach our kids
- - taken off the market.

Agents busted a whopping 15 methamphetamine labs, and that number
indicates the increasing prevalence of the drug in the area. That's 15
highly dangerous labs eliminated from endangering the public and the
environment. There were also 24 weapons seizures in 2003.

The agents and agencies have to work together extremely well in what
can be very dangerous situations. Teamwork and trust is essential, and
we're glad to see the results are making our community safer.