FRANKLIN COUNTY SHERIFF WILL CONTINUE TO PROTECT, SERVE

Re: "Serious crime drops in Leon but Franklin County's rates shoot
up" (front page, April 6).

With the tremendous growth our county has experienced in the last
year, our Sheriff's Office has continued to provide prompt service to
the citizens of Franklin County. Our percentage increase has been
from increasing service calls, tourism, new construction and new
property development in our county.

The Franklin County Sheriff's Office has reported a total of $418,513
in stolen property values, with a total recovery amount of $321,503,
which is a 77 percent recovery stolen rate. That rate of violent
crime and the rate of nonviolent crime reported by the clearance. In
2001, the Sheriff's Office made a total of 672 arrests, an increase
from the year 2000 arrest of 257, which is an increase of 62 percent.
Of the 672 arrests made, 101 were drug and narcotics arrests.

Based on these crime statistics, the Franklin County Sheriff's Office
has made giant steps in the right direction. We will continue to
protect and serve citizens of Franklin County against crime.

BRUCE W. VARNES
Sheriff, Franklin County