DRUG TASK FORCE RECEIVES GRANT

A $213,500 state grant to battle drugs in West Alabama is less than law
enforcement agencies had hoped for, but officials say the cut in funding
should not affect services.

Gov. Don Siegelman awarded the grant, administered through the

Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs, to the 24th Judicial
Circuit Drug and Violent Crime Task Force last week.

Based in Reform, the task force serves the sheriff's departments of
Pickens, Fayette and Lamar counties, the district attorney's office of the
24th Judicial Circuit and the police departments of Gordo, Reform,
Carrollton, Aliceville, Fayette, Sulligent, Vernon, Kennedy and Millport.

Task force Commander Danny Jenkins said the grant amount is a 2-percent cut
from last year and a 4-percent cut from 2000, when the agency was created.

"We had asked for enough money to hire two new agents, thinking we could at
least get one, but it didn't happen," Jenkins said.

The task force employs four agents and a full-time secretary. Jenkins said
the money cut from this year's budget would have gone toward the purchase
of new equipment.

Chris McCool, district attorney for the 24th Judicial Circuit, which
comprises Fayette, Lamar and Pickens counties, agreed that the decrease in
funding would not curb the progress being made against drug activity in the
tri-county area.

"It's a cut, but it's not too bad. We can deal with it," said McCool, who
routinely prosecutes task force cases.

"They'll tighten their belts and do what it takes. These guys are dedicated
to law enforcement . They'll make do."

McCool cited the task force's record of more than 520 arrests, most of them
drug-related, since last July and 11 raids of methamphetamine labs so far
this year as evidence of the "great strides" toward reducing drugs in the area.

"They work really well with the law enforcement agencies that are already
here, and the law enforcement agencies work well with them," he said.

"The level of cooperation since the task force started has never been
greater. It's really pulled the agencies together in this area."

Reform Police Chief Richard Black said the task force's presence has proved
a "tremendous asset" not only in his jurisdiction, but the entire region.

Because the task force agents have more time and resources to concentrate
on investigations, his officers are free to perform other duties. The
result: more arrests and more convictions, he said.

"Before, it was just hit-and-miss. Now, we've got somebody working on them
all the time," Black said.

McCool said he was surprised to learn how prevalent illegal drug activity
is in West Alabama and guessed that even three times the number of task
force agents could be kept busy if the money could be found to fund their
salaries.

Jenkins agreed and said he blames at least part of the activity on
depressed economic conditions in the area.

"It's opened a lot of people's eyes to a problem we have here that I
wouldn't say wasn't being addressed, but that people weren't as aware of,"
he said.

The grant provides 75 percent of the task force's annual operating budget,
with the other 25 percent coming from the counties and municipalities
served by the agency.