Pubdate: Thu, 04 Aug 2005
Source: Kingsport Times-News (TN)
Copyright: 2005 Kingsport Publishing Corporation
Contact:
http://gotricities.net/domains/timesnews.net/lettertoEditor.dna?action=new
Website: http://www.timesnews.net/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1437
Author: Kevin Castle
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?237 (Drug Dogs)

GATE CITY - Marcus McClung got the same question every time he knocked
on the door campaigning for the commonwealth attorney's position in
Scott County in 2004.

"What are you going to do about the drugs?''

McClung noted the inquiry before several officers from various county
law enforcement agencies combined forces Thursday for "Operation Drug
Blitz" - the culmination of 20 months of work by McClung's office and
the Scott County Sheriff's Department.

"It was a constant concern from citizens during the campaign because
you could sense that people are getting tired of the dealing and just
the thought of the illegal substances being in the county,'' said McClung.

"Don't get me wrong. There, unfortunately, is not a community that
does not have to deal with drugs on a daily basis. However, we have
gotten a few more tools to use in this fight over the past couple of
years that the county was not afforded in years past.''

Two of those tools include two officers who work in conjunction with
the sheriff's department and the Multi-Jurisdictional Task Force.

"Having those officers on staff has given the county a more aggressive
stance toward drug eradication,'' he said.

"We asked the state police to help us with the situation, and they
delivered by providing an extra officer to help us in drug-specific
cases and operations like this one.''

He also noted that the addition of another canine officer in Gate City
will also help patrol what he called a major pipeline of drug
trafficking, U.S. Route 23.

Scott County's K-9 investigation unit, Investigator Terry Sivert and
K-9 Ajax, has been patrolling for nearly three years now.

"Without question, with its boundaries near three states, we are
seeing a lot of drugs being transported through Scott County. The dogs
have been vital to our operations, especially in traffic stops along
the Virginia/Tennessee border.''
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