POLICE CHIEF DEFENDS HANDLING OF MARIJUANA CASE

I write this in response to your editorial ("Our Views: Wynn should have
reported drug incident," April 3). First, this case was handled just as any
other case of this nature is or would be handled.

I received a call concerning the drugs and I notified the Hattiesburg
Police Depart-ment N.E.T. Narcotics Unit and asked them to investigate the
matter. They reported to me that they had retrieved a bag containing a
large amount of marijuana. My instructions to them were to handle this case
just as any other drug case.

This was my last instruction. I was given updates periodically (i.e. the
actual weight of the drugs and that the Drug Enforcement Agency was
assisting in the investigation).

Regarding your point that "Wynn didn't make the incident public until
Tuesday," I did not call a press conference because of the ongoing
investigation by the DEA and Hattiesburg Police Department's N.E.T.
Narcotics Unit - nor should I have called one. And contrary to your report,
I did not call a press conference on Tuesday.

A reporter for WDAM called and said he needed to ask me some questions
concerning the drugs at the church, and could he come by. I said yes. He
came by and, before I answered his questions, I called your paper and
advised your reporter that if she wanted answers to the questions she had
called about earlier, she had better come on over.

The reporters asked the questions and I verified the content of information
they already had.

It is my opinion that the mayor of this city is entitled to be kept abreast
of what is going on in the city and of those investigations that would not
be jeopardized by his knowledge. I informed him and will continue to do so.

The mayor never tried to influence this case, nor has he tried to influence
any investigation that this department has been involved in.

There are investigations being conducted at this time that the mayor may be
aware of and the media are not. That is the nature of this business.

Finally, I have been in law enforcement for over 25 years, and my integrity
has always been my foundation. And when I leave this position, I assure you
my integrity will be solid and intact.

This case was handled by the book, and to do anything else would have been
irresponsible.

David Wynn

* David Wynn is the chief of the Hattiesburg Police Department.