DEKALB DRUG TASK FORCE GETS GRANT

FORT PAYNE - Gov. Don Siegelman announced this week that the DeKalb County
Drug and Major Crimes Task Force would be receiving a $75,000 grant. The
grant comes from money made available to the state by the U.S. Department
of Justice. The county will match it with $25,000 from task force
forfeitures, county Administrator Matt Sharp said. Last year, the task
force got a similar grant for $130,000 and matched it with $43,000 from
forfeitures, Sharp said. That money was spent on operating expenses and new
vehicles. Darrell Collins, commander of the task force, said this year's
grant would be spent on operating expenses and specialized equipment.
Unlike some drug units, the DeKalb task force's budget does not include
salaries. Officers are paid by their respective agencies. The task force
includes members of the DeKalb County Sheriff's Department, the Ninth
Judicial District Attorney's Office and Fort Payne and Collinsville police
departments. "This program sends a strong message that trafficking,
distribution and use of illegal drugs will not be tolerated," Siegelman
said in his announcement. "The DeKalb County Drug and Major Crimes Task
Force is successfully sending out the message that if you deal or do drugs,
you will pay the price. The officers of this unit are to be commended for
their service and dedication, and I am pleased to support their efforts."
The task force made more than 300 drug cases last year. It uncovered eight
methamphetamine labs and the components of several more. An undercover
investigation led to the arrest of two people on federal trafficking
charges and the seizure of more than five pounds of methamphetamine that
had been smuggled into the county. In another case, agents seized more than
20 pounds of marijuana and $41,000 in cash. County Commission President Sid
Holcomb credited Siegelman, Senate President Pro Tem Lowell Barron,
D-Fyffe, and Rep. Richard Lindsey, D-Centre, for the grant.