CHIEF MILLS TO LEAD COUNTY'S ANTI-DRUG TASK FORCE

Independence Police Chief Fred Mills will lead the Jackson County Drug Task
Force as chairman of its board of directors for the next year.

The board, consisting of 12 area police chiefs and the Jackson County
Sheriff, selected Mills to serve the one-year term Oct. 3.

The task force is a special law enforcement body dedicated to drug crimes
and funded by the COMBAT tax. It is staffed by about 30 officers from
departments in Independence, Blue Springs, Lee's Summit, Raytown, Sugar
Creek, Lone Jack, Oak Grove, Grain Valley, Lake Lotawana, Greenwood,
Buckner and the sheriff's office.

"Drugs are a severe community problem, a societal problem, and we are
committed to providing the task force with the resources they need," Mills
said.

He plans to ask COMBAT officials to reconsider the way it funds the task
force. Currently, the task force receives about 9.5 percent of COMBAT
revenues or about $1.9 million in 2002. However, the amount of dollars
fluctuates as tax revenues rise and fall.

"We just cannot effectively run a unit like that," Mills said. "We need a
steady allocation amount to insure we don't have to cut staff or drop
operations."

Mills said he does not anticipate any operational, personnel or policy
changes at the task force. He will concentrate his leadership on funding
issues and helping promote task force's accomplishes to the public in the
upcoming campaign to renew the COMBAT tax. The 1/4-cent sales tax is set to
expire in 2004.

"The (chairman) position is really one of facilitator. Any changes or new
initiatives will be through a collaborative effort with all of the
agencies," Mills said.