POLICE CHIEF, DA UNDERSTAND IMPORTANCE OF DRUG AND VIOLENT CRIME TASK FORCE

SYLACAUGA - Drugs play a major role in crime in Talladega County as they do
across the country. Just ask Sylacauga Police Chief Louis Zook or Talladega
County District Attorney Steve Giddens. That's why the two law enforcement
officers understand the importance of forming the Talladega County Drug and
Violent Crime Task Force.

Both say they believe at least 80 percent of the crimes committed in
Talladega County are related to drug use.

"It could be burglaries or thefts where the individual needs money to buy
drugs. It could involve the sale or possession of drugs or crimes committed
while on drugs," Giddens said.

He said there are even individuals coming to court under the influence of
drugs.

Zook said not only does Talladega County have a drug problem, but so does
Sylacauga.

"You've got crystal meth being manufactured in the rural areas. You've got
our citizens going outside the city buying drugs or others coming into the
city to purchase. You've got people on crystal meth, crack cocaine,
marijuana and we've even seen some Ecstasy and GHB (a steroid substitute),"
he said.

Zook said Sylacauga also has an illegal prescription drug problem that
leads to forged prescriptions.

"The drug problem crosses all lines - no matter what age, race, sex,
economic class or education," he said.

The task force could become a reality within months if the county gets a
grant from the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs.

Through the Talladega County Commission, Giddens' office applied Wednesday
for the grant requesting funds from ADECA's Law Enforcement Planning
Division for operating costs for the creation of the task force.

The city of Sylacauga is one of seven agencies in the county supporting the
effort by the District Attorney's Office.

Sylacauga has committed $21,000 to a $114,000 match and one officer to the
task force.

The requested amount for the grant is $335,567.70 for a proposed cost of
$449,567.70 for the task force, Giddens said.

Others providing local cash matches include $30,000 from the Talladega
County Commission, $25,000 from the city of Talladega; $15,000 from
Childersburg and Lincoln; $5,000 from Oak Grove; and $3,000 from the
Talladega County District Attorney's Office.

"Everyone is on board for this. We've sent our application off. I believe
we can make this work," Giddens said.

The biggest drawback in forming a task force in the past has been money and
personnel, Giddens said.

Talladega County had a drug task force in the 1990s and Zook said it was
disbanded mainly due to funding and personnel.

That task force was comprised of five members - two from the Talladega
Police Department, two from Talladega County Sheriff's Department and one
from the Sylacauga Police Department. Funding was provided by various
cities but nothing compared to the proposed funding for the new task force,
Zook said.

The new task force will consist of 10 officers, six from agencies in the
county and four new officers to be hired if the grant is approved, Giddens
said.

"This is going to be twice as large compared to personnel and three or four
times the amount of funding," he said.

Zook said the previous task force disbanded in the fall of 1995, and
several months later, Sylacauga formed its Narcotics Enforcement Team with
two officers.

The Sylacauga team works within the city, but Zook said drugs are coming
into the city from outside and vice versa.

"If we pool our resources we can address so many more issues and find
solutions. We'll have the resources, officers, experience and intelligence
to hopefully put a big dent in drug cases in this county, and if we have a
violent crime, this task force can only help," Zook said.

Using the example of the manpower used to solve the murders of a mother and
daughter last year in Sylacauga and the recent Blockbuster Video homicides
in Calhoun County, Zook said he sees the task force as a major
investigative tool.

Giddens said his office has been studying forming the task force for more
than a year.

The money has been available through ADECA for a while, he said.

"It was just a long process of getting the information together from all
the law enforcement agencies in the county, putting the application
together and moving forward," Giddens said. "We know we have problems and
we wanted to explore the options."

Talladega County used Calhoun County's task force as a model.

"This is Calhoun County's 14th year to have a task force. That's impossible
to imagine and it has been so successful. Calhoun County has been good to
work with, their district attorney, Joe Hubbard, and task force commander
Richard Smith. Talladega County could not have gotten where we are without
their help. They know the ins and outs," Giddens said.

He said he sees Talladega County having a successful task force, too.

"We have a good, solid group of law enforcement, good agents, good
leadership in our chiefs and I think we can be a success for a long time to
come," Giddens said.

The task force will operate under the direction of a board of directors
comprised of the four police chiefs, the sheriff, the district attorney and
Assistant District Attorney Barry Matson.