The Southwest Mississippi Narcotics Enforcement Unit is apowerful tool in helping clean up the streets of Brookhaven, evenif some city officials are not impressed with revenue brought in bythe unit, Police Chief Pap Henderson told aldermen Tuesdaynight.

Henderson spoke at Tuesday’s meeting in response to questionsraised during budget talks about funds seized for the city by theunit. After Ward One Alderman Dorsey Cameron also asked about fundsbrought in on drug seizures, aldermen had discussed whether theunit was worth paying to keep in the city in it if it was notgenerating revenue.

Last year just over $500 was seized for the city, and somealdermen felt an annual payment of $25,000 might be better usedelsewhere.

“I realize that money is very important to the city, and that ittakes money to run the city,” Henderson said. “But the mostimportant thing to me is the number of cases we’re working and thedrug dealers we’re getting off the streets.”

Henderson told the board that being a member of SMNEU, which ismade up of agents from the Lincoln, Pike, and Walthall CountySheriff’s Departments, the McComb Police Department and BPD, offersthe city access to resources and manpower imperative to fightingthe war on drugs not only in Brookhaven, but in Lincoln County.

“It’s unreal what all this task force is doing,” he said. “Andof course I can’t give a lot away, but we have access to resourceswe would never be able to have if we were not a part of it.”

Henderson explained that a lot of the reason the city does notsee revenue from the cases is that every time the agents break acase, a fee must be paid to test the drugs at the state crime lab.Plus, he said, funds and property are not seized in every drugdeal.

“We do periodically get money, and it goes back into the city’sgeneral fund,” he said, adding that if a vehicle or other goods areconfiscated, they are auctioned off twice a year and that moneygoes to the city as well.

Henderson said the rapport built with surrounding counties isalso an important asset of the unit.

“They work together well and do an outstanding job, and it’s anoutstanding group of agents,” he said. “Again, the most importantthing to me is getting the drug dealers off the city streets.”

Henderson said also that talk of money seemed trivial not onlyin the light of taking the drugs off the streets, but also when thedanger and sacrifice of the job are considered.

“For a period of years our agent had to work cases by himself,”he said. “When you have guys that go out there and do this, you maynot realize it but they’re risking their lives, and sometimes Iworry about them just knowing what kind of danger they’re goinginto. It’s a great thing to have them here to do this kind of workfor us.”

In the end, Henderson said, the mission of the unit is whatmatters.

“We have one common goal, and that is to get the drugs out ofthis city and out of this county,” he said.