MAYOR NEEDS TO MAKE CHANGES

I am very concerned about the crime rate and the way things are being run
in the Hattiesburg Police Depart-ment. It seems to me the police chief has
had his own agenda from the beginning. When I opened up the newspaper this
morning and read that our police department would no longer be part of the
metro narcotics team, I was furious.

And when I read further and heard that his plan is for a separate drug task
force, it made me even madder.

I have a couple of questions for Mr. Wynn.

Where do you plan on getting these extra officers? Your response to the
members of the city council when they questioned you about job performance
and crime rates was that the city is short police officers.

Where will we get these extra officers to man this drug task force?

Will they come off the streets from protecting this city?

The officers in the Metro Narcotics team were paid with a federal grant,
not my taxpaying money, so I already know where this money to pay these
officers will come from.

In the story, Chief Wynn said that there are lots of drugs on the streets
of the city of Hattiesburg and that is why he wants to start a separate
drug team.

So why, then, are the drug arrests down for this year.

If there are so many drugs out there, why aren't the officers making the
arrests? After all, you have the same number of officers now that you will
have when this so-called "drug force" begins.

I pray that the mayor makes same changes before it's too late.

Melissa Lewis,

Hattiesburg