DRUG TASK FORCE FORMS

LILLINGTON - Law officers in Harnett County have formed a drug task force.

The task force involves at least one officer from each of the county's five
municipalities. Capt. Jeff Hubert of the Harnett County Sheriff's Department
leads the team of 12 agents.

The five police chiefs along with Sheriff Larry Rollins make up the board of
directors that will oversee the task force. Rollins said developing the
narcotics team has been a goal since he took office in December.

"We are much better off meeting and communicating with one another than
going our separate ways and talking about each other," Rollins said.

He met with police chiefs in Angier, Erwin, Coats, Dunn and Lillington to
establish ground rules for the team. The chiefs agreed that officers
assigned to the task force would devote at least 16 hours a week toward drug
operations. Rollins said the task force will be understanding if an officer
cannot commit to the whole 16 hours in a week.

"We're going to be relaxed about that," he said. "The towns are strapped for
manpower. For example, the town of Angier has only one agent that works
drugs but now they have 12."

The Dunn Police Department is the only town that has two officers assigned
to the force. Dunn Police Chief Timothy Benware said his department does not
have an officer who solely works narcotics. The task force will give the
city an edge, he said.

"Drugs are a problem everywhere, and we certainly are no exception," Benware
said.

Officers on the task force are not paid extra and will receive on-the-job
training. The Sheriff's Department will use a portion of the money it
receives each year for undercover drug operations to supplement the task
force, Rollins said. He said eventually the departments would share revenues
from drug seizures and the N.C. Controlled Substance Tax Act.

Cocaine and marijuana are among the prevalent drugs found in the county,
authorities say. Recently, Harnett lawmen have seen an increase in
methamphetamine traffic. During the past three years, agents have uncovered
at least four labs. In February, four people were charged with selling and
trafficking in the drug.

Two labs were discovered in Erwin during the past two years. Erwin Chief Tom
Chandler said officers may have spotted the labs sooner if the task force
had been active.

"We are not able to devote a great deal of time to drug work," Chandler
said. The Erwin Police Department has nine full-time officers, including one
detective.

The task force will focus on any illegal drug activity, authorities said.
Officers assigned to the task force will share information, and the team
will work on special operations.

"We're excited," Chandler said. "It's going to be very beneficial. I think
you are going to see a lot more drug arrests in the county in the near
future."

Rollins said gathering information is the key to making arrests. The team
has already served search warrants.

Coats Police Chief Nelson Baird said the task force is a big help to his
town, which has five officers.

"Now instead of one narcotics agent, we have 12,'' he said.

Baird has assigned one of his officers to the task force two days a week.

"Without a doubt, it is working very well,'' Baird said. "Everybody in the
community benefits from it. Where you have drug crimes you have other
crime.''