DRUG TASK FORCE WOULD BE COSTLY

Woodford Trustees Weigh The Benefits Of Joining MEG Unit

EUREKA - The idea of Woodford County joining a drug task force has become a
matter of weighing the benefits against the cost.

The County Board's judicial committee learned Monday that joining a
multi-agency enforcement group, a drug-investigating team of participating
police departments, would cost the county money it doesn't have. County
officials expect a deficit of more than $200,000 this year.

Joining Knox, Peoria, Tazewell, Stark and Marshall counties' MEG unit would
cost the county nearly $12,000 yearly plus salary and overtime costs of
providing a Woodford County officer to join the unit, State's Attorney Mike
Stroh said.

"We have to balance protecting society against cost. This will be a costly
process, but in the long run, we can offer our citizens more protection,"
Stroh said Monday, adding MEG would cover costs for the drug officer's car,
computer and training.

The county doesn't have the "resources or manpower" to tackle the sale and
use of cocaine, marijuana and the recent influx of methamphetamines and
meth labs in the rural area, Stroh said.

But at least one County Board member questioned whether the county has a
serious enough drug problem to warrant joining a drug task force.

"I just would have to see more need for it. We may have a few problems, but
not much. It just doesn't make sense to me yet," said board member Marcus
Adams.

Other members said just because they can't directly see a drug problem,
doesn't mean one doesn't exist.

"We shouldn't stick our head in the sand and assume there's not a problem,"
board member Larry Whitaker said.

Stroh suggested seeking agreements with county municipalities to help
offset the cost of joining the MEG unit. Woodford is the only county in the
Tri-County Area without a MEG unit.

The judicial committee asked Stroh to collect more information on specifics
and costs of joining MEG before taking the proposal to the full board. If
the County Board approves joining a MEG unit, Stroh said he hopes to have
the agreement in place by the end of the year.