DRUGS SPURRING VIOLENT CRIME HERE

Out-Of-Town People Often Blamed; Several Heroin Deaths Noted

CUMBERLAND -- Two armed robberies, a carjacking and an incident that
injured a Maryland state trooper were among violent crimes that
occurred in Allegany County last year.

"The potential for homicides is here with our increasing drug problem,
with the increase of firearms that we find when we make arrests, and
with the increase of out-of-town people who are involved in
drug-related crimes in our county," said Cumberland Police Capt. Kevin
Ogle.

"We had several confirmed or suspected heroin deaths in the county
last year which shows the severity of our drug problem.

"But on the other hand, we have made a number of arrests for drug
trafficking which shows we are addressing the problem," said Ogle.

Incidents that had potential for greater violence were the Dec. 29
armed robbery of the RG's Convenience Store on Bedford Road and the
Oct. 6 armed robbery of the First United Bank & Trust branch at White
Oaks.

Six people -- including two Bronx, N.Y., men and a Baltimore man -- were
arrested in connection with the RG's case. An Altoona, Pa., man was
arrested within minutes of the bank robbery at White Oaks following a
high-speed chase by Cumberland Police that ended in the North Branch
Industrial Park in Mexico Farms.

Johnny Howard Snead II, 37, was also charged in the July 7 robbery
that occurred at the same bank. Snead is jailed on $500,000 bond and
is scheduled for trial Tuesday in Allegany County Circuit Court.

Four more bank robberies in the area remain unsolved. In October, a
man who robbed the Harrison Street branch of First United was also a
suspect in the Sept. 19 robbery of Hoblitzell Bank on North Mechanic
Street. Two Pennsylvania men arrested Sept. 18 following a bank
robbery in the Wheeling, W.Va., area were also suspected in the Aug. 7
robbery of BB&T Bank in Keyser and the July 29 hold-up of M&T Bank on
Winchester Road in LaVale.

The Allegany County medical examiner also was robbed at gunpoint in
his office in South Cumberland the same day as the M&T incident.

A drug-related carjacking at the Memorial Hospital parking lot in
October resulted in the arrests of two Baltimore residents.

Injuries to a Maryland state trooper who was struck by a vehicle last
January while making an arrest at the Naves Crossroad Park-and-Ride
stemmed from a preplanned drug arrest.

"As drug-related crime has increased, we have responded in a variety
of ways, including highway interdiction," said Maryland State Police
Lt. Mike Mattingly, LaVale barrack commander.

"If we are out there making stops, we are intercepting criminals and
enhancing traffic safety," he said.

Investigators were busy with a series of business burglaries including
Lowe's and Food Lion supermarkets in Frostburg and Cresaptown, and a
fast food restaurant in LaVale.

"We felt these crimes were committed by an organized group of
individuals. We arrested two suspects at Food Lion in Cresaptown and
those cases remain under investigation. We believe that case is
connected with other business burglaries in the county," said Mattingly.

Cumberland Police Chief J. Robert Dick accented the
positive.

"Excellent cooperation between police agencies and good public support
has brought most of these cases to a successful conclusion with arrests.

"Although no crime is acceptable and despite some increases, I still
consider our crime problems as very manageable." said Dick. "We can
take pride in the quality of life and the safe environment we have in
this county."

State's Attorney Mike Twigg said he is "pleased with 2003 in that
local law enforcement rose to the task of identifying and arresting
individuals responsible for various crimes in the county."

Increased drug use, specifically heroin, was identified by Twigg as
"causing a spike in criminal activity."

The prosecutor also said that his office will continue to "work with
local law enforcement to aggressively pursue persons responsible for
criminal activity."