SHERIFF TO ANNOUNCE CREATION OF DRUG TASK FORCE

Ferguson Says It's Time To Again Combine Personnel

BENTONVILLE -- Sheriff Keith Ferguson hopes that by combining his resources
with police departments in the county, law enforcement will be able put a dent
in drug traffic.

Ferguson and area police chiefs will announce Tuesday at a press conference the
formation of the Benton County Drug Task Force.

"I'm looking forward to the chance of being involved with others to achieve the
same goal," Ferguson said Friday.

This will be a second time law enforcement efforts have been combined to fight
drugs. Some departments pulled out of the 19th Judicial Task Force citing
manpower and financial constraints. The task force eventually disbanded after
Tim Keck, former Rogers police chief who coordinated enforcement efforts,
announced his officers would focus on drug traffic in the city. State officials
then pulled funding from the task force.

Citing the increase in methamphetamine production and use in the county,
Ferguson said it is time to combine forces to fight drug traffic in Benton
County.

He said local police departments will lend officers to the sheriff's office to
help on cases. He will deputize the officers.

"It will help. These guys will be able to leave their jurisdictions when
working on drug cases," said Ferguson.

He said there is an "epidemic" of methamphetamine use in the country, and
Northwest Arkansas is part of it. He blames it on the ease and cost of making
meth.

"You can get the recipe for it off the Internet, and the chemicals to make it
are readily available," said Ferguson.

Plus, the profit for the meth dealer is a big motive for the increasing number
of meth labs.

"It costs between $50 and $75 to make an ounce of meth, and the dealer can sell
it for between $400 and $1,000 an ounce," said Ferguson.

For the user, meth is highly addictive, said the sheriff, and the dealer has a
constant market for his product.

He said that, since January, the sheriff's office has shut down 25 meth labs in
the county.

Ferguson has had only one narcotics officer to deal with the problem. Two
months ago, the Quorum Court gave him permission to hire four more narcotics
officers.

With the formation of the Benton County Drug Task Force, Ferguson feels law
enforcement will have the resources to combat drugs.

"If everybody has the same goal, I think we can achieve something here," said
Ferguson.