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Newsbrief:
Tennessee
Towns
Fire
Police
Forces,
Cite
Too
Much
Attention
to
Meth
Labs
9/6/02
Local police forces in the
small central Tennessee towns of Gruetli-Laager and Palmer, both in Grundy
County, have been given the boot in what appears to be an example of law
enforcement providing more policing than the community wanted. In
separate mid-August votes, the two small towns voted to fire their police
departments, saying town police were ignoring local offenses to chase down
meth labs in surrounding areas.
"We weren't paying them to
go out of the county and bust meth labs," Greutli-Laager Mayor Donna Rollins
told the Chattanooga Times Free Press. "We pay them to take care
of the city."
Other aldermen mentioned
complaints of police harassment and the cost of maintaining a police force.
But Alderman Wayne Grimes, the sole vote against firing Gruetli-Laager's
four-man force, said police stepped on too many local toes when they busted
67 meth labs during the first seven months of the year. "I just feel
like maybe they were doing their job too good," he told the Oak Ridger.
Grimes also cited police crackdowns on beer sales to minors, which angered
local businessmen and relatives and friends of those arrested. "To
me it was a political deal. They thought hopefully if they got rid
of the police department, they would drop the charges."
Gruetli-Laager alderman Jim
Layne was among those who voted to fire the police. He was arrested
for possession of a controlled substance three days before the vote.
Layne had no comment on his motives in voting for the move.
-- END --
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Issue #253, 9/6/02
Editorial: Federal Evildoers | DEA Turning Its Sights on Patients, Small Growers in Escalating California Medical Marijuana Conflict | Canadian Senate Panel Calls for Marijuana Legalization -- Urges Regulation and Control, Rejects US Pressure | You Are Now Leaving the EU: Christiania Gets Raided | Ducheneaux Guilty in Medical Marijuana Case as South Dakota Attorney General Candidates Unite Against Jury Rights Amendment | Massachusetts Local Ballots to Include Marijuana Decriminalization, Medical Marijuana, Hemp Questions | Medical Marijuana Polling: Yet More Info on MarijuanaInfo.org | 2001 National Household Survey on Drug Abuse Results Published | Stossel Tapes Still Available -- Support DRCNet and Reserve Your Copy of This Important ABC News Report Today! | Newsbrief: Board of Canvassers Rejects Michigan Initiative, Appeals Court Next | Newsbrief: California Legislature Passes Bill to Make Prop. 36 Clients Eligible for Food Stamps, Awaits Governor's Signature | Newsbrief: Nevada Marijuana Initiative Loses Support in Latest Poll | Newsbrief: Rainbow Farm to Be Auctioned | Newsbrief: Chills Owner Gets 14 Months on Federal Paraphernalia Rap | Newsbrief: DEA Busting Pipe-Sellers Again, This Time They Hit Illinois | Newsbrief: Tennessee Towns Fire Police Forces, Cite Too Much Attention to Meth Labs | Newsbrief: World of Competitive Bridge Fends Off Drug Menace, US Player Loses Medal for Refusing Drug Test | Newsbrief: DEA Brokers Thai-Lao Border Drug Cooperation Deal | Media Scan: Shawn Heller, Dan Forbes, Dan Gardner, Nando Times, Canadian Editorial Cartoons, DrugSense Drug Policy Links | Third Annual Fortune Society Prisoner Art Contest | Legislative Alerts: Rave Bill, Medical Marijuana, Higher Education Act Drug Provision | The Reformer's Calendar
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