CANDIDATES PLEDGE DRUG CRACKDOWN

Both candidates vying for the office of Duplin County sheriff see drugs as
a major crime issue.

"Years ago there used to be a drug house here and there, but now they are
all over the county," said Republican candidate Jimmy Hatcher.

Mr. Hatcher, a Chinquapin poultry farmer who served 14 years as a deputy
for the Duplin County Sheriff's Department under former Sheriff Elwood
Revelle, said Thursday he would make fighting illegal drugs a top priority.

"I've got grandkids and it's time someone did something about the drug
problem," he said. "It's really messing up the young'uns."

On Nov. 5, Mr. Hatcher will face Democratic challenger Blake Wallace, an
agent with the State Bureau of Investigation who handily beat incumbent
sheriff Glenn Jernigan in a September primary.

Since 1999, Sheriff Jernigan has filled the unexpired term of the late
Sheriff George Garner.

Mr. Wallace couldn't be reached for comment, but on his Web site, he
addresses the drug issue.

"I've seen neighborhoods where the drug dealing has taken over the shadows
and the street corners," the Web site states. "The longer the dealers
operate in safety, the harder it becomes to improve the situation. That's
why I'll increase patrols in high-crime areas and make law enforcement a
visible presence."