Pubdate: Fri, 28 Mar 2008
Source: Hattiesburg American (MS)
Copyright: 2008 Hattiesburg American
Contact: http://www.hattiesburgamerican.com/customerservice/contactus.html
Website: http://www.hattiesburgamerican.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1646
Author: Earlesha Butler

HPD LOOKS TO CRACK DOWN ON DRUG CRIME

Hattiesburg Police Department is looking to crack down  on
drug-related crime with a new unit.

The interdiction unit, which will start to work  Saturday, is made up
of six police officers and one  supervisor, who all already work for
HPD. Each officer  already has been assigned an accompanying K-9 partner.

Lt. Dale Bounds, the unit's supervisor, said the team  will be
beneficial to the growing city by taking more  narcotics off the
streets. Combating narcotic  distribution prevents other crimes from
occurring,  Bounds said, adding that the unit's staff along with  its
soon-to-arrive new equipment trucks will better  help the department
combat crime.

"You're trying to intercept the drugs going from point  A to point B
and the money going from point B to point  C," Bounds said.

A figure on total funding for the new unit was not
available.

Earlier this month, the HPD officers seized more than  50 pounds of
cocaine during a routine traffic stop,  reportedly worth more than
about $10 million in street  value. And officials reported that the
department has  confiscated about $143,730 since January. Bounds said
the confiscated funds, or forfeitures, are used to  purchase new
department equipment.

HPD officials say the new unit will be similar to the  Laurel Police
Department's interdiction unit. Capt.  Steve Dearman, the LPD unit's
former director of four  years, said "it has taken numerous pounds of
drugs off  the interstate" since it began in 2003.

Dearman estimated that the unit has confiscated about  3,000 pounds of
marijuana, 200 pounds of cocaine and  approximately 100 pounds of
methamphetamines.

"We've seized money, I wouldn't have an (estimate) as  to the amount;
we seized money in the proceeds of  illegal narcotics," Dearman said.

He said he believes HPD also will be successful in its  attempt to
take illegal drugs off the streets.

"The longer they do it, the more they will be  successful," he said.
"It's just an ongoing process."

The department ordered three 2008 SUV Chevrolet Tahoe  trucks to
provide the officers and dogs with more space  as they patrol the
city. Funding for the trucks was  approved by City Council on March 4
at a cost of  $28,000 per truck.

HPD Police Chief Frazier Bolton said Monday the trucks  will arrive in
two to three weeks and will give  officers and K-9s more room to carry
necessary  equipment.

"They will be able to carry all their equipment to  utilize their
police work," Bolton said.

Bounds said current size police vehicles provide  limited space for
the dogs and that the SUVs will  prevent them from being "cranked up"
as they are  transported to and from different locations. Bounds  said
the trucks will also have enough space to fit  criminal suspects.

"Our police car is like our office," Bounds said.  "You've got a lot
of equipment. Instead of having to  dig through it, you'll have
everything laid out."

The unit's staff will provide consistent training for  its dogs
through a series of agility courses and tests.

Officer A.J. Arredondo, K-9 instructor, said the  department's six
dogs undergo weeks or months of  training and must meet the United
States Police Canine  Association requirements to gain
certification.

Arredondo said the dogs' police training consists of  learning various
policing aspects, including an agility  course, area and article
search, criminal apprehension,  narcotics detection and obedience.

Officer Larry Primeaux, who will be a part of the new  unit, said
working with his dog Tonka will be a great  asset to the department.

"Say you put a bad guy in the woods, a dog's going to  find it faster
than four or five cops will," said  Primeaux, who has been training
with the dog since  December. "And he'll find a hidden man somewhere
just  by scent. A dog can sniff and see better than a human."
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