ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Tuesday, April 23, 1996 TAG: 9604230140
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-2 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
DATELINE: RICHMOND
SOURCE: Associated Press
The state's top law enforcement officials met with Henry County authorities Monday to develop a strategy for fighting crime, most of it drug-related, in the town of Sandy Level.
State Secretary of Public Safety Jerry Kilgore said the officials came up with a plan, but he withheld details ``to save the element of surprise for the criminals and the drug dealers.''
``It could take different avenues, from more law enforcement personnel to more grant money to coordinating other state activities with Henry County,'' Kilgore said. ``We did leave with a firm commitment from both the state and county to work as partners to solve this problem.''
An article in the April 22 issue of U.S. News & World Report portrays Sandy Level as a town where teen-agers sell crack cocaine day and night, shoot out street lights, play games with outnumbered law enforcement officials and impose a Mafia-like code of silence.
Sandy Level is a town of about 800 a few miles from the North Carolina border.
Kilgore and Col. Wayne Huggins, superintendent of the Virginia State Police, met at the Henry County administration building in Collinsville with Sheriff Frank Cassell, Commonwealth's Attorney Robert Bushnell and County Administrator Sidney Clower.
``They were wanting help and, recognizing their limited resources, were reaching out to the state for whatever assistance we could give,'' Kilgore said.
He said state officials were aware that many small communities are plagued by crime, but the magazine article on Sandy Level ``fueled the fire and got everyone moving in the same direction.''
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