GRANTS SOUGHT FOR DRUG SPECIALIST

City, County Want Prosecutor To Try Drug-Related Cases

A prosecutor to handle only drug-related cases may soon be part of the New
Hanover County district attorney's staff.

The city and county each plan to apply for a law enforcement grant from the
U.S. Department of Justice to pay salary and benefits for a prosecutor for two
years.

Earlier this week, the New Hanover County Commissioners authorized the
Sheriff's Department to apply for the grant; the Wilmington City Council will
consider a similar request during its meeting Tuesday.

The council will meet at 6:30 p.m. in City Hall.

Sheriff Sid Causey said Friday that District Attorney John Carriker agreed to
designate one assistant district attorney to prosecute both city and county
drug cases if city and county officials agreed.

"I think it will help us with our drug prosecutions," Sheriff Causey said. "Any
time you have a person doing just one job, you get a better product, I think."

An experienced prosecutor would be assigned to take over drug cases while money
from the grant would be used to hire an entry-level prosecutor to handle other
cases, Sheriff Causey said.

Mr. Carriker was not in his office Friday afternoon and couldn't be reached for
comment.

The total amount of the two-year grant would be $172,107. It would require
roughly a 10 percent match, split between the city and county, said Christine
Campel, a grant writer with the Wilmington Police Department.

A resolution that the City Council will consider Tuesday says the annual salary
and benefits for a prosecutor would not exceed $49,035.

Sheriff Causey said he plans to use the remaining grant money the county
receives on bulletproof vests.

He will use money seized from drug dealers to pay the remaining cost of the
vests.

The city plans to use the remaining part of its share of the grant to provide
specialized training for officers, to pay for travel, overtime and drug
enforcement equipment.

The prosecutor will work for Mr. Carriker, Ms. Campel said.

The grant is similar to one the city received about two years ago to hire a
prosecutor to work on cases that involved guns.

The prosecutor also works with a task force on violent crime, she said.