DRUG INVESTIGATORS ARE SOUGHT

McMinnville will soon have two new drug investigators specifically
dedicated to drug investigations after members of the city's Safety
Committee on Monday approved a request the application process for
that position begin. McMinnville Police Chief Joe Melton said the city
has had drug investigators before, but have gone without for a variety
of reasons for the past several years.

With the growing problem of drugs in the community overall, and with
regard to meth labs especially, he said he requested the city be able
to add the two new officers to the police department's staff this year.

"It seems to be growing every day and I felt it was time the police
department dedicated a couple of officers to work strictly on drugs,"
he said, noting the investigations can be draining and dangerous for
law enforcement.

The availability of the positions have been posted internally first,
and officers are already applying for the jobs. The drug investigators
would join the city's police staff of about 37, Melton added.

Mayor Royce Davenport added that the reasoning behind hiring the two
full-time investigators relates to the amount of drugs present in the
community, the ability for officers to more effectively deal with drug
investigations on a 24-hour basis, and to limit the scope of the
investigators' duties.

"It's one of the things we've always wanted to do, and that's where
part of the tax increase is going to," Davenport added, referring to a
small amount of the recent 27-cent increase.