DPS LEADS NATION IN HIGHWAY DRUG SEIZURES

Texas Troopers Continue To Lead The Nation In Highway Drug Seizures.

According to Department of Public Safety Director Col. Thomas A. Davis Jr.,
this is the third year drug seizures by DPS troopers on traffic patrol
topped the $100 million mark.

The Traffic Law Enforcement Division's 2002 statistics report Texas DPS
troopers intercepted illegal drugs valued at $123.8 million while on normal
patrol duty.

"Seizing drugs intended for someone's neighborhood is just one positive
byproduct of our normal patrol activities," Davis said. "In addition to
arresting drunk drivers and slowing down speeders, our traffic patrols put
drug smugglers, murderers and other criminals behind bars -- a big step
forward in making Texas a safer place."

Weatherford DPS Patrol Sgt. Bob Nichols said troopers' continued success
stems from a multitude of factors.

Nichols said one of the components is officers are encouraged to stop all
major and minor traffic violations.

"We're encountering more criminals along the roads," Nichols said.

He said another factor is the heightened terrorist watch. Nichols said
looking for drugs and criminals is similar to looking for terrorists. He
said if someone is transporting chemicals to make explosives or drugs, they
are committing a criminal act.

When the terrorist alert level rises, troopers take note. In Parker County,
troopers keep an eye on natural resource pipelines, making sure that nothing
is out of the ordinary.

Troopers also patrol schools during peak times.

"We look for any abnormal activity," said Trooper Brian Roberts.

A third factor, Nichols said, is troopers paying attention to details.

"As more criminals blend in with the general population, it is harder to
detect them," Nichols said. "We look at small details and pay attention to
everything that's going on, and look for anything out of the ordinary."

The 2002 drug seizure highlights in Texas include 86 pounds of heroin, 2,202
pounds of cocaine, valued at more than $90 million, and troopers confiscated
nearly 51,000 pounds of marijuana.

When totaled, Davis said this year's drug seizures rank fourth in DPS
history.

In 2002, DPS made 1,780 drug arrests, the second highest in DPS history. In
2001, there were 93,888 drug arrests made compared to 95,150 drug arrests in
2000.

In addition, DPS troopers arrested more than 17,000 people in 2002 for a
variety of criminal violations, ranging from homicide to auto theft. These
numbers exclude drug and alcohol-related arrests.

The number of traffic stops leading to arrests weren't available for Parker
County, but statistics available report that DPS seized 1,126 pounds of
marijuana from Parker County in 2002. No other drug was seized in the county
by DPS. Troopers made 321 drunk driving arrests, cited 12,107 speeders and
stopped 1,825 drivers for safety belt violations.