DA, POLICE, SHERIFF FORM NEW DRUG TASK FORCE

Pittsburg County commissioners Monday signed off on a plan to create a
joint task force comprised of the sheriff's department, district attorney's
office and the McAlester Police Department.

The agreement, if also approved by the state Attorney General, will give
the six-person drug task force $87,000 in funding for the coming fiscal year.

District 18 Attorney Jim Bob Miller told commissioners the agreement splits
the grant three ways and will mostly be used for personnel.

Meanwhile, any proceeds collected by the task force - property or cash
seized and forfeited as drug proceeds, for instance - would also be split
three ways to operate the program.

Miller said Krebs police are also asking to participate in the task force.
Although no forfeiture funds would be shared with Krebs from the shares
allotted McAlester or county police agencies, Miller said he would give up
part of his own third of proceeds of any forfeiture initiated by a Krebs
police officer.

Additionally, because Miller is also district attorney for Haskell County,
a separate grant agreement is planned with that county, he said. However,
he told Pittsburg County commissioners that none of Pittsburg County's or
the city's share of the grant would be used for Haskell County. Instead,
Miller would use a portion of his third of the grant to involve the Haskell
County Sheriff's Department.