CITY-COUNTY ANTI-NARCOTICS UNIT ENDS SIX YEARS OF WORK TOGETHER

The Decision Formalizes A Break That Had Taken Place In All But Name Months
Ago.

The six-year collaboration between the New Hanover County Sheriff's
Department and Wilmington police anti-drug units has ended, Wilmington's
city manger said Monday.

In a Friday meeting with Sheriff Sid Causey and Wilmington Chief John
Cease, both sides agreed to terminate the City-County Vice and Narcotics
Unit, said Sterling Cheatham, Wilmington's city manager.

The decision formalizes a break that had taken place in all but name months
ago, Mr. Cheatham said. Both sides had been operating separately for at
least a year, he said.

The two departments came together in the spring of 1997, when then-Sheriff
Joe McQueen and the newly hired Chief Cease agreed the venture would go a
long way in fighting dope dealers.

At the time, Sheriff McQueen said that the officers in different
departments didn't always communicate about each other's cases, causing
problems that only benefited criminals.

But more recently, Chief Cease lobbied against continuing the union, saying
different philosophies and responsibilities worked against its being a success.

Mr. Cheatham said it would be important for both sides to work together in
the future.

As an operational decision, the move required no council involvement, he said.

Calls to Sheriff Causey and Chief Cease Monday evening were not returned as
of press time.