CITY OFFICER TAKES CREDIT FOR TASK FORCE ...

Editor:

I came back to the "Mountains" from the big city after twelve years of
absence. Doug Wallen gave me the opportunity to be a Paintsville police
officer and I was grateful.

In return, I brought experience to some areas in law enforcement that local
police are not subjected to.

After a short time I recognized the drug problem, not only in Paintsville,
but in Johnson County. I approached Chief Wallen with a proposal to test my
ability to impact the drug trade in Paintsville. As I started my work, I
realized that a majority of the drug trade influencing the city came from
outside our city limits.

During this casework I informed only one key individual in the Johnson
County Sheriff's Department of my work in the county. I made the proposal
and it was agreed that a potential task force could work. I helped set the
guidelines and we brought the idea to our district superiors who agreed and
approached the heads of city and county government.

On May 27, 2002, the Paintsville-Johnson County Task Force was formed. This
was a sound decision by the leaders of local government and local law
enforcement. I worked hard at a great expense to my family life and under
the hush ridicule that the city and county can't work together.

Then the results of my work paid off by executing the first of two major
drug round-ups that I had the pleasure to co-supervise. Our officers and
deputies learned a lot on those raids and not one officer or suspect was
hurt in our efforts. This was a total success under most modern law
enforcement standards.

Now we get the to the part that addresses why Sheriff Bill Witten takes
offense to my letter to solicit private funds to purchase a drug detection
dog and his reluctance to work with the Paintsville police.

The truth is, I included the results of our task force in an opening pitch
to make people aware of an ongoing problem and there is no direct mention
of the Johnson County Sheriff's Department in my letter only a reference to
the Paintsville-Johnson County Drug Task Force.

I did the work on every case without ever being accompanied with a deputy
on a successful drug buy so I can take credit for my own work. The officers
of this division, the Paintsville Police Department, have formed a task
force and there is nothing erroneously reported in saying that. We are a
part of the task force and it was our initial insight that led to the
formation of this entity. It was approved by the members of government.

The Paintsville police will have a drug detection dog and I will handle the
dog thanks to charitable businesses and people in the community. The mayor
and chief allowed me this. This animal will be an asset that our police
will share to any agency. I will continue to pursue narcotics cases with or
without the task force title.

We will just have to change the design of our shirts - the shirt
highlighted in the paper that Sheriff Bill Witten wouldn't allow his
deputies to wear.

Thanks, Bill, for putting my name in the paper. My co-workers, family, and
friends were glad to see it, though it seemed to be a personal attack on
the person who afforded you many front page pictures.

Brett Meadows Paintsville