GRANTS WILL FUND DRUG PATROLS, YOUTH PROJECT

Southport Police Get $15,500

Southport | With only one police officer dedicated solely to
investigating criminal drug activity, the Southport Police Department
still logged in 67 drug-related arrests last year.

With the likelihood of an increasing number of drug-related arrests as
the city's population grows, Southport Police Chief J.V. "Jerry" Dove
went to the federal well for money to fight drug activity in town and
came up with a bucketful: two grants totaling more than $15,500, one
aimed at crimes of the present and the other to head off future bad
behavior.

Dove said the department has $7,389.89 in federal anti-drug money
coming its way in the fiscal year starting July 1. Dove said the money
will provide added training and overtime for the department's 10 sworn
officers for assignment to local narcotics investigations.

"We had a 22 percent increase in the number of drug-related arrests
last year," the chief said. "That's substantial."

In the grant application, submitted in mid-January, the chief cited
the growth of the city through annexation, the related increase in
population and a tenfold seasonal population influx that heightens
drug activity.

The grant for the drug interdiction program will enable Sgt. Gary
Smith, the department's drug investigator, to train other officers on
directed patrols to develop drug cases and track drug use and
offenders, the chief said.

"We're going to put officers in areas where we've been getting the
most complaints," he said.

The department will also receive $8,448.75 from the Juvenile
Delinquency Prevention Program to fund High Impact, a project focusing
on high-risk juveniles in the community, Dove said.

A team of officers, along with police department chaplain Anthony
Buntyn, will work with Southport Elementary School and the city parks
and recreation staff to select 25 adolescents for involvement in High
Impact, a goal-setting and social development program, the chief said.

High Impact members will host activities such as sporting events,
career days, trips, group parties and talent contests for other youth
in the community.

Dove said a notable spike in vandalism at local construction sites, a
rise in shoplifting incidents and reported cases of at-home parties by
youths where drugs and alcohol were present were among reasons for
requesting the grant.

"We were informed by school officials of an increase in children that
are becoming disciplinary problems and are heading to a level of
disruption and behavior that will impact their future," Dove said.
"Hopefully, we can do something to turn them around."

Dove said the High Impact program will be organized over the next few
months, and be instituted at the start of the 2007-2008 school year in
August.