PUTNAM ANTI-DRUG EFFORTS GET $22,000

WINFIELD - Putnam County law enforcement units fighting drug-related crimes
are getting $22,000 to help continue their efforts.

The Putnam County Sheriff's Department, Narcotics Enforcement Unit and the
Prosecuting Attorney's Office will share the $22,000 distributed by the
Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team, or MDENT, said Capt. Chuck
Sadler of the Charleston Police Department.

The Putnam agencies joined MDENT this year and became eligible for federal
funds distributed through the state to the regional group.

Putnam and Kanawha County officials announced the grants. They were also
based on drug seizures and other drug-related enforcement activities in
Putnam County.

Both the Sheriff's Department and the Narcotics Unit received $10,000 each,
while Prosecuting Attorney Mark Sorsaia's office got $2,200 for its part in
county drug enforcement.

The joint effort from both counties has helped everyone to suppress drug
activity in the area, Sadler said.

"We have more manpower to work on addressing the problems," he said. Even
though the units worked together before, Sadler said that operating as a
single unit has given the groups better direction and more control.

Putnam County Sheriff's Department Chief Deputy John Dailey said that
working with MDENT has been "excellent." The combined efforts have quelled
a lot of drug activity in Putnam County, he said.

"We've made a lot of busts and got a lot of money through the seizures,"
Dailey said. The department not only profits from the drugs confiscated
from dealers, but can also use or sell vehicles or other items used to
proliferate the sale of drugs, he said.

The Putnam agencies are able to use the $22,000 toward the cost of
additional drug enforcement or for general law enforcement activities in
the county.

Though Dailey said that Sheriff Stan Farley hasn't stated how he wants the
money spent, the funds would most likely go toward purchasing new computers
and items like four-wheelers.

"The other day we had some people out in the woods, and we had to borrow a
four-wheeler," Dailey said. "That's kind of embarrassing."