CALHOUN COUNTY HITS DRUG DEALERS

Editor, the Advocate:

Many of your Calhoun County readers have probably noticed that over the
last few months the Calhoun County Sheriff's Department and the Port Lavaca
Police Department have made a large number of drug arrests and drug seizures.

Most of the arrests have involved the possession of powder cocaine or crack
cocaine with intent to sell it in the community. Use of cocaine and use of
other illegal drugs cause a lot of damage and are not so-called "victimless
crimes." Frequently the drug user and the user's family are the first
victims of the drug dealer. Child Protective Services workers tell me that
drug abuse goes hand in hand with child abuse and that it's rare when a
child abuse investigation doesn't also include drug abuse.

These arrests are good news to the citizens of Calhoun County. As the
criminal district attorney and as a citizen of Calhoun County, I am proud
of the work that law enforcement is doing to attack drugs in our county.

I urge all citizens to pat law enforcement on the back for their recent
successes in arresting drug dealers. I also ask everyone to help get drug
dealers off the street by reporting drug activity to any of the law
enforcement agencies in the county or by calling Calhoun County Crime
Stoppers at (361) 552-CASH for a cash reward of up to $1,000 for
information leading to the arrest or indictment of a drug dealer.

DAN W. HEARD

Port Lavaca