DRUG SUMMIT AFTERMATH: WHAT'S NEW?

ASHEBORO - On Feb. 1, 2001, local city and county law enforcement officials
came together for a drug summit.

Held at Asheboro High School, it attracted over 1,000 people who came to
hear the speakers and see what they could do to get involved. A Drug Task
Force was created and neighborhood watches were set up.

But where are we now? Has drug activity escalated or declined? Are law
enforcement officials making a dent in what is seen as an ever-present problem?

The public is invited to find the answers to these and other questions at a
special presentation entitled, "What must be done to prevent drug and
alcohol abuse in the U.S.?"

The event is sponsored by the Randolph Rotary Club and will be held 6:30
p.m. Wednesday at the Randolph Community College Learning Resources Center
auditorium.

Local experts on hand for the presentation will include Randolph County
Sheriff Litchard Hurley, Asheboro Police Chief Gary Mason, Randleman Police
Chief Richard Weinblatt, Asheboro Mayor David Jarrell and Randleman Mayor
Bruce Moore. In addition, Kenn Clark, a drug tester, and Dr. Harold Lilly,
a drug counselor will be featured.

In 2001, Mason called the original drug summit because of the escalating
problem with drug activity in this area.

In 1995, city police seized $49,423 worth of drugs and $13,423 in cash. In
1999, those numbers jumped to $201,850 worth of drugs and $25,797 in cash.

In 2000, the dollar value of drugs nearly tripled from the year before,
with officers seizing $604,805 worth of drugs and $100,859 in cash.

Hurley reported his office found similar escalating trends.

In 1995, the sheriff's office confiscated $3.49 million street value of
narcotics and $58,069 in cash. In 1999, they seized drugs with a street
value worth between $2.1 million and $3.2 million and $1,031,293 in cash.
In 2000, they uncovered between $4.3 million to $6.83 million street value
of drugs and $408,294.56 in cash.

Shortly after Mason became Asheboro's police chief, top drug enforcement
officials notified him that Randolph County and the Piedmont area were
becoming main pipelines for drug distributions. Funneled out of Mexico, the
drugs are brought to smaller cities, like Asheboro and Burlington, because
dealers see them as "easy pickings" and then distributed to dealers up and
down the East Coast. Law enforcement said dealers are also drawn here
because they can buy drugs cheaper.

Since the original summit, local law enforcement agencies have made
numerous busts. During the most recent, at Innovations in Asheboro on Dec.
4, a joint operation of Asheboro police, the sheriff's office, the Archdale
Police Department and the Liberty Police Department seized $2.6 million
worth of cocaine, believed to be the largest bust in city history.

In conjunction with the Rotary presentation, the Randolph Rotary Club is
also sponsoring a speech competition on the subject. Students who
participate can win cash prizes and trophies, earn certificates of
participation for college applications and the possibility of English or
social studies grade credits for participation.

The Rotary speech competition will be held Jan. 15 at 6:30 p.m. in the RCC
auditorium. The winner will receive $200 and a trophy. Two runners-up will
each receive $1000 and a trophy. The winners will speak to the Jan. 21
meeting of the Randolph Rotary Club.

District and multi-district competitions will be held on Feb. 28 and March 21.