POLICE RECEIVE $133,000 FROM ASSETS SEIZED IN DRUG BUSTS

The efforts of several Montgomery police officers paid off in cold,
hard cash Tuesday.

Marshall Simmons of the Drug Enforcement Administration presented
Police Chief John Wilson with nine checks, worth about $133,000 for
the department's efforts in nine drug cases.

The checks were for assets seized during the cases, which occurred in
the city during the past few months.

The Montgomery Police Department has officers assigned to a special
multi-agency federal and state task force, High Intensity Drug
Trafficking Area.

The task force, along with Montgomery officers, investigated the nine
cases.

"This is just an example of how we can pool our resources and how we
can take advantage of large amounts of information and intelligence,"
said police spokesman Lt. Huey Thornton.

Thornton said the partnership between the department and the task
force is crucial to combating the drug trade and expanding the
department's ability to fight drug-related crime.

The partnership allows Montgomery police officers to tap into national
resources and intelligence, expanding their knowledge and
understanding of the crimes, Thornton said.

He said the money will be used to fund future drug programs or to buy
equipment, but the exact plans have not been ironed out.

"The money will be put in a special account for future use, but it
can't be put toward anything budget-related," he said.