MELTON - YOUTH THE KEY WEAPON IN DRUG WAR

Media magnate and newly appointed state drug czar Frank Melton told an
audience of 200 in McComb Thursday night to expect big changes in
knocking out Mississippi's narcotics trade. And it starts with making
sure books, not drugs, are on students' minds.

Melton, who spoke at the Boys and Girls Club of Southwest
Mississippi's annual banquet, said the youths involved in the
organization are the solution to getting rid of crime.

Gov. Ronnie Musgrove appointed Melton to head the Mississippi Bureau
of Narcotics last week after director Don Strange resigned. Melton has
said in the past that he'll do the job without the $60,000 annual
salary and use of a government car.

"We're going to solve this (drug) problem, and the solution to the
problem is sitting in this room tonight," he said. "I want our
children in school, not in jail."

To prove it, he made a deal with McComb High School sophomore and Boys
and Girls Club member Chris Daniels. Melton loaned Daniels the plaque
which the club had given Melton on condition that Daniels invites him
to his graduation in three years, where Melton will get the plaque
back and will give Daniels a scholarship to any Mississippi college of
his choice.

"I feel very proud," Daniels said. "I'm glad he chose someone like me.
... I'm still going to work hard. I'm still going to try to get a
scholarship."

Melton said today's youth needs to focus on four things in order to be
successful: faith in God, faith in family, quality education "and
getting up off their behinds and volunteering somewhere."

Melton's said he's got high hopes for the Mississippi Bureau of
Narcotics as he does for the state's youth, although combating drugs
is harder than he thought.

"I learned so much from our agents in the past few days, and I thought
I knew a lot," he said.

Melton said the ever-growing danger of the state's crystal meth
epidemic is threatening Mississippi communities not only by keeping
volatile drugs on the streets, but by creating threats of chemical
explosions from homes turned into drug factories.

He told the audience horror stories of agents finding equipment used
in drug labs hidden under children's beds during raids. "People are
willing to sacrifice their own children" for drugs, he said.

Though he talks tough on drug enforcement, Melton's appointment to the
MBN has been met with criticism regarding his lack of law enforcement
experience.

"All this debate about law enforcement experience and all that, the
truth is, I've probably put more folks in jail than the Jackson Police
Department," Melton said, adding that he'll give citizens a chance to
evaluate his job performance every 90 days, and he'll quit if the
public isn't satisfied.

"When I leave this job, the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics will be
the premier law enforcement agency in the state," he said.

Melton pledged to rid the narcotics agency of government bureaucracy,
"good ole boy" management and drug transactions in all neighborhoods,
rich and poor.

"We will put everyone in jail who we find is responsible for the
distribution of drugs in this state, and I don't care if it's a mayor,
a senator or a governor," Melton said. He then gazed across the room
and quipped, "So consider this your warning.

"We're going to be taking care of the street folks and we're going to
be taking care of them in a way you've never seen before, but we're
also going to be paying some visits to folks in their downtown offices."

Melton said he plans on having 30-35 MBN agents, backed by local,
state and federal lawmen, descend on Mississippi communities in the
near future and make one big sweep in drug-laden neighborhoods. After
that, they'll go to area schools, check absentee rolls and go to
truant students' homes before daylight to encourage them to get back
in school.