POLICE MUSCLE UP ON CRIME

Combined Force Make Arrests

Criminals beware because the Greenville Police Department and the
Washington County Sheriff's Department are has teaming with law enforcement
agencies across the state in a concerted effort to take back the streets.

On Saturday, representatives of those departments and officials of the
Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics called a news conference to make the public
aware that they will no longer have to worry about walking outside.

Frank Melton, the new director of the MBN said his agency, along with the
National Guard, the state Attorney General's office, GPD, WCSO and the
Alcohol Beverage Control made several arrests throughout Washington County
on Friday night.

"We are working under the direction of the Greenville Police Department and
the Washington County Sheriff's Department and other communities, and we
will continue to be a resource for the city and county any time they feel
they need us," said Melton, a former Jackson broadcasting executive.

On Friday night, the law enforcement agencies teamed up and patrolled the
streets until early Saturday morning, making several apprehensions ranging
from felony drug and misdemeanor arrests, as well as serving indictment
notices to criminal defendants.

Melton said one club in Leland was closed down because teenagers were
inside the establishment, where alcohol was being served, and the business
did not have a license to sell alcoholic beverages.

"I can't even remember the name of it because it was so disgusting," Melton
said.

The club was raided between 2 a.m. and 3 a.m. Saturday.

Meanwhile, Greenville police made about 14 arrests while the Sheriff's
Department took 11 criminals off the streets. Law officers in other Delta
towns made arrests as well, however, figures were not available at the time
of the news conference.

Melton said Greenville is the first Mississippi city in which this
operation has been performed since his appointment late last year by Gov.
Ronnie Musgrove. That is because it was the first telephone call for
assistance he received, he said.

The crime in Washington County and Greenville is nothing unusual for a
small community, he said.

"There wasn't anything new or different," Melton said. "Mississippi is in
tough economic times, and we will continue to work together with the Police
Department and the Sheriff's Department because they also have resources we
need."

The combined efforts of the law enforcement agencies is part of an
aggressive program called Operation Safe Neighborhoods.

Washington County Sheriff's Department Capt. David Sessums said
investigators teamed up after receiving several telephone calls from
concerned residents that they were scared to walk outside, to go anywhere
or to let their children play outdoors.

"We are going to target street-level drug-dealing and crime to let the
hardworking taxpayers know that the streets belong to them and not the
criminals," Sessums said. "We are going to let the criminal element know
that they are not in control and that we have people that can come forward
and help us if we need it."

Greenville Police Chief Lon Pepper Jr. echoed his statements, saying
authorities are going to do whatever is necessary to protect the residents
of Washington County.

Melton said it will not be announced when outside agencies are brought into
a community for assistance with the criminal element, but this will not be
the last time.

Pepper said the combined law enforcement effort is not an isolated show and
will be aggressively pursued in the coming months.

"The main thing we are doing is letting people in Greenville and Washington
County know that they can be safe in their homes and their businesses," he
said. "We are not going to abandon anyone."

Pepper said law enforcement agencies had a lot of success with Friday
night's operation, and they will continue to do so. However, the criminals
will never know where agents are going to strike.

"For the criminal element," Pepper said, "their time has come."