Pubdate: Mon, 05 Apr 2004 Source: Charleston Daily Mail (WV) Copyright: 2004 Charleston Daily Mail Contact: http://www.dailymail.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/76 Author: Megan Kenny Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/meth.htm (Methamphetamine) CANDIDATES READY TO TACKLE METH LAB PROBLEMS Candidates All Have Experience In Law Enforcement Two former law enforcement officers and one current one are trying be the long arm of the law that cracks down on Putnam County's growing drug problem. While all three candidates for Putnam County sheriff had independent ideas on what top priorities they would pursue in the office, all three agreed that something would have to be done to get drugs, especially methamphetamine, under control in the county. "These people can convert a $500 investment into $5,000 a day," said John Dailey, Putnam County's chief sheriff's deputy, during a Daily Mail editorial board meeting on Friday. "With taxes and the economy not so good, people are making money in illegal ways." Dailey, a Democrat from Bancroft, said deputies discovered 28 meth labs in 2003, double what they found in 2002. He said this year, the department is already on track to exceed last year's number. To combat the meth labs, Dailey, who has been in Putnam County law enforcement for more than 25 years, said he needs more deputies. "We could have seven officers working seven days a week just on meth labs," Dailey said. He said there are plenty of grants available for hiring new deputies, but many of them expire after three years, leaving the county to make up the difference later. Dailey, 44, said that the current sheriff's office maintains a good relationship with the County Commission, a relationship he plans to continue. Dailey will face Bill Mullins, a retired Putnam County sheriff's deputy and former Hurricane police chief, in the primary in May. Mullins said he would like to fight the drug problem by promoting educational programs in schools. "It's about educating the young people about the dangers of drugs and alcohol and tobacco use," Mullins said. "I'd like to continue the good work the sheriff's department already does." Mullins, 54, has some non-drug related ideas of his own. He wants to bring more computers in to the sheriff's office to make police work more efficient. "Computers are valuable to police work," Mullins said. "There are tools that are necessary in police work, and computers are more efficient in crime investigation." He said in addition to the drug problem, crime, such as burglary and vandalism, are up in rural areas of the county, a problem he plans to handle by stepping up patrols in more remote parts of Putnam County. Both Democrats are planning on spending very little money on their campaigns, relying on signs around the county in Dailey's case and grass-roots efforts in Mullins' case. - --- MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom