CARTERET TO KEEP CLOSER EYE ON DRUG MONEY USE

BEAUFORT - Undercover drug buys are literally tax dollars at work,
says Carteret County Sheriff Asa Buck, and he is making sure there is
an accounting for each dollar.

Shortly after taking office five months ago, Buck found $1,000
remaining in the department's $35,000 drug fund for the year but no
formal accounting measures for tracking the money.

He said that has changed.

"Basically, what we've done is implement a procedure so we can keep
track of the money that goes in and the money that goes out just like
a checkbook," Buck said.

Before investigators set out to catch drug dealers in the act, they
first need the funds to make the transaction. That money often comes
from public funds entrusted to the law enforcement agency.

"If we're going to use this money to buy drugs in an undercover
operation then we need to document that money," Buck said.

The sheriff said that before a potential drug operation, a request is
made to the county finance office for money from the drug fund. The
check goes directly to the sheriff or chief deputy; and any time that
money switches hands, it is documented.

The procedure has been reviewed by McGladrey & Pullen, the firm that
provides auditing and accounting services for the county, and
Carteret County commissioners were provided with information on the
new accounting process during this week's board meeting.

Commissioner Wade Nelms said the drug fund may be small in comparison
to others in the county, but it is just as important that the money's
use be documented.

"It is taxpayer money and there should be an accounting at every
step," he said.

County Manager John Langdon said there is no implication that funds
were improperly used under the previous sheriff. But there was no
apparent paper trail recording its use.

To avoid any perception of problems, even the most honest of
operations need that documentation, he said.

"It there's no accountability, people can think the worst," Langdon
said. "It's more critical to have documentation and accountability
when there is no malfeasance so that there is public confidence."

Buck has requested that $50,000 be allocated for the drug fund in the
coming year's budget. With two new narcotics detectives doubling the
department's drug enforcement efforts, he said more buys can be
expected. And the use of more tax dollars makes the accounting
measures all the more important.

"We had two (narcotics detectives) before and now we have four.
That's more people making more drug cases," he said. "Thats why it is
important to have that oversight. It's a lot of money."

While the county budgets money for the drug fund, the department can
also receive a return on the drug arrests made as a result of the
undercover deals.

In cases where the arrest is made immediately after the buy,
investigators recover the funds that were used at that time.

In other cases, money or property is seized from the suspected drug
dealers and turned over to the state, which assesses a tax penalty.
Seventy-five percent of that money comes back to the county.

While Buck said it is important to account for the drug fund dollars,
he stressed that it is strictly for tracking the money. Sensitive
information, such as the identities of confidential informants,
remains protected.

"Informants are people who work for us undercover and their
identities are protected. That will not be compromised by this
process," Buck said.