OFFICIALS TARGET DRUG PROBLEM

BREVARD -- Elected officials agreed on Thursday to form a special
joint committee to fight the growing drug problem in Brevard but also
said more needs to be done to fight the spread of drugs and
drug-related violence.

Brevard Mayor Jimmy Harris asked the Brevard-Transylvania Chamber of
Commerce to invite 20 local leaders from law enforcement, School
Board, board of county commissioners and City Council for a special
breakfast meeting Thursday to discuss what can be done to prevent
illegal-drug activity in Brevard, Rosman and Pisgah Forest.

Harris shared his proposal to enact a citywide curfew that would
prohibit children under 15 from being allowed on city streets after
11 p.m. and his idea to prevent convicted drug dealers from attending
high school sporting events.

"If civil rights are taken away from a drug dealer, I don't have a
problem with that," Harris said, acknowledging that there may be some
legal barriers to the proposal. "I do not believe 'drug thugs' have
any business at our public events and anybody conducting themselves
in that manner does not belong near our children."

Harris said he had informally discussed his ideas among Brevard City
Council members and as yet did not have the board's full support for
these measures, but said he wanted to approach other government
entities to see what they thought could be done.

"I think we need to implement policies that make Transylvania County
the most inconvenient place for drug dealers to exist," he said. "Not
everyone may agree on my suggestions, but the broad goal should be to
limit the exposure of drugs in our community."

Brevard City Attorney Michael Pratt said the measures could face challenges.

"If the City Council, School Board and county commissioners all made
these offenses misdemeanors, I think that law would be upheld," Pratt
said. "Now is a good time to decide as a community if we want to be
proactive on this."

Brevard Police Chief Dennis Wilde said he had personally seen the
more refined form of methamphetamine known as "ice" appearing with
alarming regularity in the hands of local drug offenders.

"Within the last six months, the amount of drugs and weapons we've
seen coming into our area scares me," Wilde said. "For years we have
been battling meth labs and been able to keep those down, but that
created a vacuum where ice is creeping in."

Chief Wilde said one possible remedy for the growing problem could be
to expand the random drug testing process already approved by the
school system for students participating in extracurricular activities.

"Why not make it for all students?" Wilde suggested. "I wouldn't turn
the results over to law enforcement, but use it to identify the kids
with problems and turn things over to the parents so they can get treatment."

School officials did not seem ready to consider that idea just yet,
but did say they support a continued effort to prevent illegal drug
use among students.

"I think we have an uphill battle, but it's one we can win," said
School Board Chairwoman Teresa McCall. "We have some challenges
ahead, but we have been, we are, and will continue to work to ensure
our campuses are drug free."

The assembled leaders decided to form a committee including members
of the School Board, county commissioners, City Council and local law
enforcement to work together for a common solution.

"This is a problem we must all face together," said Transylvania
County Commissioner Jason Chappell . "We all have a responsibility,
not just as elected officials, but as citizens of Transylvania County
to continue this dialogue."