Pubdate: Sun, 24 Mar 2002 Source: The Advocate-Messenger (KY) Copyright: 2002 The Advocate-Messenger Contact: http://www.amnews.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1253 Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v02/n299/a01.html?1745 Author: Katherine Belcher WAR ON DRUGS IS TOP PRIORITY FOR LINCOLN SHERIFF CANDIDATES STANFORD -- Although the two candidates running for sheriff in the Democratic primary in May disagree on a variety of issues, the drug problem in Lincoln County isn't one of them. Incumbent Shelby Lakes and challenger Fred McCoy both have pledged to work hard to rid the county of an ever-growing drug problem and provide better service to the community. Shelby Lakes In deciding to run for re-election, Lakes said one of the most important issues to be addressed was the sheriff's department's continued battle against illegal drugs. Lakes said, during his term in office, the sheriff's department has initiated and participated in several dozen drug investigations and arrests. As a result, the department has received seized funds from drug dealers and some of those funds are in his 2002 budget. Lakes said more drug funds are expected once they are released by the court system. Another issue important to Lakes is making the office a more professional and efficient operation, which he says he did during his first term by outfitting the office with a computer and digital camera, obtaining a laptop computer for use in cruisers and new software that will computerize tax records. Lakes said the new software, which should be implemented in the next year or two, will cut the time for billing and collecting taxes to a fraction of the time it now takes. The new equipment was made possible through an equipment grant from the Center for Rural Development in Somerset. Lakes also touts an unusually high percentage of tax collections, which should reach 97 percent by the April deadline. Additionally, Lakes acquired new patrol cars during his administration to ensure deputies had reliable vehicles to answer police calls and serve summons. The department has four new vehicles, two of which will be completely paid for this month. A fifth new cruiser will be added later this year, Lakes said. Asked about his competitor's campaign promises to improve the sheriff's office by adding more full-time deputies and introducing special deputies, Lakes quietly responded, "I have a philosophy of not making promises I can't keep." However, Lakes did say the sheriff's department cannot have part-time deputies because the state will not grant them certification. Lakes said although the Fiscal Court may provide funding to hire more deputies at some point in the future, he would not make any promises to that effect. Lakes has said the one promise he will make is to keep honesty and integrity in the sheriff's department and a commitment to doing the best with the resources available. Lakes has more than 25 years of experience in law enforcement, dating back to his service as a military police officer for two years in the Army. Just prior to his election as sheriff, Lakes retired as a trooper with the state police after 23 years. Deputies serving under Lakes include Toby Henderson, Ronnie Smith, Bill Schnitzler, Linda Demaree and Marvin Rogers. With the possible exception of Rogers, who is running for jailer, all deputies will remain in their current positions. Fred McCoy McCoy said the issue of drugs will be his top priority if elected. When asked specifically what he would do to tackle the drug problem if elected, McCoy said he'll work. "A sheriff needs to put in more than eight hours a day. What I'll be is a working sheriff," said McCoy. "I will show up when called and my deputies will treat people with respect." Drugs may be McCoy's top priority, but his campaign advertisements also have chosen to address the issue of a stronger police presence out in the county. McCoy said more deputies on patrol is one of many weapons in combating the war on drugs. If elected, he said, he will make this happen by adding a full-time detective to handle drug and theft complaints, as well as increase the number of deputies by two and add special deputies to the department. McCoy said he will contribute half his salary to pay for the addition of one deputy and funding for the salary of the other deputy will become available when McCoy eliminates the clerk's position, currently held by Karen Lakes. Special deputies are unsalaried positions because they are volunteers from the community who are not officially trained to be law enforcement officials. They merely ride along with deputies who are on patrol, according to McCoy. Additionally, McCoy said more can be done by the sheriff's department to take a proactive, rather than reactive, approach to the sale of illegal drugs. "When a complaint about drugs is made, an investigation needs to be launched and the police need informants to help them," said McCoy. "That's why this county needs a detective, because the drug problem is so big here - -- as it is in other counties." McCoy believes the sheriff's department also should be more involved in larger drug busts typically handled by state police and the Drug Enforcement Agency. "We've missed out on a lot of money here in this county by not making some of the big drug busts the state police and DEA handled," McCoy said. "Just look at the $2 million recovered from the bust of Tony Bryant, and the sheriff's department was not involved." McCoy wants to have more patrols, get constables more involved in serving papers and have a good working relationship with the state police. "I want Lincoln County to have a 24-hour-a-day sheriff and show the community what a great sheriff's department we can have," he said. McCoy has 22 years of experience in law enforcement and is the current fire chief and police chief for the city of Hustonville. McCoy began his career in the Marine Corps and once his enlistment ended became a special deputy with the sheriff's department in Jacksonville, Fla. After returning to Kentucky, McCoy served as a deputy with the Pike County Sheriff's Department for nine years. He then moved to Hustonville and was hired as police chief. He left that position to work with Lincoln County Sheriff's Department as a deputy for seven years. McCoy plans to have former Lincoln County sheriff Earl Dean McWhorter serve as his chief deputy and will add Doug Combs to the list of deputies. McCoy said all current deputies will be invited to continue in their current jobs. - --- MAP posted-by: Beth