Pubdate: Thu, 14 Aug 2003
Source: Cedar Creek Pilot (TX)
Copyright: 2003 Cedar Creek Pilot
Contact:  http://cedarcreekpilot.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/3008
Author: Art Lawler

NARCOTICS UNIT FINALLY BECOMES REALITY IN HENDERSON COUNTY

Sheriff Ronny Brownlow finally has his fully-funded task force.

Just don't call it that. The governor's office is kind of sensitive on the 
issue.

Better to call it the Henderson County Narcotics Enforcement Unit. A task 
force by any other name is fine with county authorities, so long as the 
current drug problems get some much needed attention.

Brownlow went before the Henderson County Commissioners at their Monday 
meeting to ask for a budget amendment of $1,045 to bring the grant position 
up to lieutenant's pay. The move enables Brownlow to transfer Lt. Kay 
Langford into that newly created position.

The request was unanimously approved and County Judge David Holstein 
praised Brownlow for his "tenacity" in acquiring the grant. The vote 
enables Langford, 44, to become head of the new Henderson County Narcotics 
Enforcement Unit.

She gave up her position as the head of criminal investigation unit Tuesday 
to lead a department that will soon include five narcotics investigators.

Langford is no stranger to law enforcement. She joined the department on 
July 23, 1989. On March 10, 1991, she was critically wounded after being 
shot by William Davis while answering a domestic disturbance call just 
south of Athens. She fully recovered from her wounds and worked her way up 
the career ladder.

She was promoted to an investigator's position in April of 1998 and became 
head of the unit when Brownlow took office on Jan. 1, 2001. He called her a 
dedicated professional who works with a lot of "tenacity."

"I'm really looking forward to working with this new unit," Langford said. 
"We have a big problem with drugs in our county, and I'm looking forward to 
working with this new unit to try to help curb this growing problem."

Selecting Langford to head up the new narcotics division started a chain 
reaction of personnel changes, which began Tuesday at the Sheriff's department.

The Athens Police Department will use its part of the grant to supply 
another narcotics investigator, and Gun Barrel City will add yet another 
full-time member. Neither chief, Jim Vance of APD nor Richard Miller of 
GBCPD, has announced who will fill those positions, as of Tuesday.

The cooperative effort will give all of the law-enforcement departments in 
the county access to five narcotics officers. They will work with the 
Department of Public Safety, the federal Drug Enforcement Agency and with 
the 15 law-enforcement entities within the county who have signed working 
agreements with the new association.

The county, which has been over-run by the drug problem, had as few as one 
narcotics officer on duty in recent months before Botie Hillhouse was 
promoted to narcotics investigative duties along with Jody Miller.

Besides those two from the sheriff's department, the unit will have 
Langford, who will work both as an administrator and as a hands-on 
investigator.

Replacing Langford will be veteran sheriff's department investigator Dan 
Parker, 40, a veteran with 20 years experience, who has been promoted to 
lieutenant.

Replacing Parker in the criminal investigation division, will be Sue 
Allison, 35, who has been promoted from detention officer in the county 
jail. She has prior investigative experience as part of the Gun Barrel City 
police department.

Brownlow said a new employee would be hired to replace Allison as detention 
officer.

"I was thrilled to get her back," Brownlow said of Allison's return from 
Gun Barrel less than a year ago. "She proved herself there. She's good at 
whatever job she's assigned to do."

Brownlow also praised Parker as being highly professional, not to mention a 
lifetime resident of this area of East Texas after growing up in Brownsboro.

Why the grant funds suddenly became available, no one is quite sure. The 
grant is actually federal money awarded to the state for distribution to 
the counties as it sees fit.

And Henderson County didn't seem to fit.

Politically speaking, task forces are something offered counties who write 
successful grants to the state soliciting federal dollars. Henderson County 
had already written two of its own, both of which had been turned down by 
the governor's office over the last 18 months.

The reason given for the second "turn down" was that the governor's office 
had ruled such grants could only be awarded to "multiple counties."

As the rules were established by the state, there were no counties 
realistically for Henderson County to partner up with.

So disgruntled law officers in the county, fearing Henderson would be left 
out of the grant money altogether, met to form the county's own task force.

The 15 county law-enforcement entities and their police chiefs at the time 
agreed to supply personnel and assistance, and money as they could afford 
it, for a narcotics unit to be headed up by the Henderson County Sheriff's 
Department.

Though it wasn't immediately clear how they'd get the money, each entity 
agreed to meet with its city fathers in search of financial solutions.

Before they could get the unit rolled out, though, the state had a change 
of heart. It sent the county and the Athens Police Department letters 
saying it had decided to provide funding for two narcotics officers -- one 
for the city and one the county. The governor's office has awarded 
Henderson County with enough of the grant to fund two new narcotics 
officers for the next four years, and that was about what Brownlow was 
asking for in the creation of the new unit.

In other action taken at Monday's meeting, Henderson County commissioners 
voted:

unanimously to pay $522,950.95 in bills between July 28 and Aug. 8.

4-1 to approve budget amendments with Pct. 2 Commissioner Wade McKinney 
casting the nay vote because of concern over some of the expenses turned in 
by county employees;

unanimously to approve the 2nd quarter treasurer's report;

unanimously to approve the monthly treasurer's report for June;

unanimously to honor request from Star Harbor to repair and repave Starview 
Drive, up to a $3,000 limit;

unanimously accepted a motion from Pct. 2 Commissioner Wade McKinney to 
deny a bid on a lot in the Mabank ISD because he felt it was insufficient;

unanimously approved a proposed location of a water line in the City of 
Eustace:

unanimously approved acceptance of a donation by the Dogwood Ridge property 
owners of $12,000 for road material costs for the reconstruction of certain 
roads within the subdivision;

took no action on whether or not to replace the engine in Constable Danny 
Howard's patrol car, pending further evaluation, as requested by Pct. 2 
Commissioner Wade McKinney.
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MAP posted-by: Larry Stevens