DRUG TASK FORCE SEEKS NEW DIRECTOR

The 10th Judicial District Drug Task Force Board of Directors has approved
a process for the selection of a new director.

Jack Damoth, a former DTF member and Bradley County Sheriff's Department
officer, has been serving as interim director since Director Ken Wilson's
arrest earlier this month for simple possession of cocaine following a
Tennessee Bureau of Investigation probe at the DTF office and Wilson's home
in Etowah.

The DTF Board fired Wilson from his post the following day.

The DTF Board is now calling for applications to be submitted by Oct. 15,
according to a release from 10th District Attorney General Jerry N. Estes'
office.

The applicant must have a high school diploma or its equivalent but a
college degree is preferred, according to criteria set by a selection
committee and Assistant District Attorney Shari Tayloe. Applicants for the
director's job must also have at least five years' experience in law
enforcement, according to the criteria.

"A selection committee consisting of representatives of member agencies
will review applications for qualifications, do interviews and oversee
background checks," the release stated.

A selection committee, consisting of representatives of law enforcement
agencies inside the district, will make a recommendation to the Board of
the most suitable candidates for the position. The recommendations will be
made to the Board by Dec. 1.

Tayloe was directed by the DTF Board to develop a list of criteria during a
called DTF Board meeting the day after Wilson's arrest. She is also listed
as a contact for those interested in applying for the job or those seeking
more information. She can be reached at (423) 472-2179 extension 22 or by
mail at P.O. Box 1351, Cleveland, Tenn. 37364-1351.

The opening was created after the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation was
called in by Estes after he was informed there might be evidence missing
from a storage area at the DTF's Charleston office.

The DTF has existed for 15 years, according to Estes, and the 10th Judicial
District's was the second Task Force formed in Tennessee. The 10th's DTF
was also the first to establish policies and procedures which was used as a
blueprint for other DTFs in the state.