USING TNT ON DRUGS

There are no declared winners in the protracted war on drugs. The losers have been the American public. The daily battlefield can be found in every city and county across this land.

Cape Girardeau County law enforcement agencies have introduced a secret weapon in recent weeks: the Tactical Narcotics Team. Officers hope that TNT will blow the cover off drug trafficking schemes in this region.

This cooperative effort involves the Jackson and Cape Girardeau police departments, Cape Girardeau County Sheriff's Department and SEMO Drug Task Force. The unit will be coordinated by the Missouri State Highway Patrol and aided by the federal Drug Enforcement Agency.

Officers are being understandably cagey about specific plans and numbers of officers. That is because both overt and covert operations are involved.

Cape Girardeau County doesn't have the serious drug problems of some areas. But the county has its share. And far too much of the violent crime here can be tied to drug use and abuse. It is a fact of life that drug trafficking breeds other crime. That also is the reason that task force bylaws allow its officers to police other criminal activity as well.

Cooperation can only aid the drug enforcement effort, because drug dealers don't abide by jurisdictions. TNT provides not only an information-sharing network, but the flexibility of filing municipal, state or federal charges. TNT is a welcome addition to the ammunition in the war on drugs.