WOODFORD HESITANT TO JOIN DRUG FORCE

Law Enforcers Would Prefer Countywide Effort Over Regional Mega-Unit

EUREKA - Woodford County police chiefs admit there is a drug problem in the
area, but said it's nothing they can't handle themselves.

State's Attorney Mike Stroh has been pushing for the county to join a
multi-county drug enforcement team to crack down on drug use and
trafficking. Local police agencies do not have the manpower, training,
resources or money to do it alone, he said.

But local law enforcement officials fear that joining Peoria, Knox,
Tazewell, Stark and Marshall counties' MEG unit would strip them of power.
They feel their small county would not be the focus of major MEG busts.

"Sure, MEG has the resources, but where are they going to go to do the
investigating? We think they'll work where there's heavier population and
more drug activity," Washburn Police Chief Ron Rizzo said.

"A countywide task force, however, would focus more on the county's problem
alone and our immediate need for attention."

An informal poll of the county's police chiefs shows a majority favor
forming a local task force unit run by the sheriff's department, said Jim
Pierceall, a detective at the sheriff's department and president of the
county's Chiefs of Police Association.

"We would have more control over what's done and what cases are worked. We
think MEG is a fine unit and they do a good job, that's not an issue. But
we could respond quicker to information we receive with a local unit,"
Pierceall said.

But Stroh argues a countywide task force would be "cost prohibitive" for
the county, which already faces a $200,000 deficit. The county would have
to hire more manpower, pay for training and purchase new equipment - not to
mention find money required for undercover drug buys.

Joining MEG would cost about $12,000 yearly plus the salary of providing a
local officer to join the unit. MEG would pay for the drug officer's car,
computer and training.

County officials have contemplated the idea of joining MEG in the past, but
hit snarls when it came to financing the merger, Pierceall said, adding
that a countywide task force could apply for grants to help cover costs of
founding and maintaining a local drug-fighting unit.

As a MEG member, local police can keep any seizures made from drug arrests
they initiate. MEG would keep only money from investigations conducted by
their agency, Stroh said.

"MEG is the thing to do. They're the experts and they do this on a daily
basis, not to mention the liability the county would face (with a local
task force)," El Paso Police Chief Jeff Price said.

Minonk Police Chief Bill Butler disagrees. He said the county is perfectly
capable of creating and maintaining its own drug task force.

"We've had several big drug raids in Minonk in the past several years and
we've done other small ones," Butler said. "I think we can do it. We've
done it before."