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.
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