Fayette DA officially takes over drug task force
Surrounded by law enforcement officials, Fayette County District Attorney Nancy D. Vernon signed papers Tuesday morning to officially take control of the county’s Drug Task Force. Attorney General Mike Fisher, who is also running for governor on the Republican ticket, said he was pleased to hand over control of the day-to-day operations of the task force to Vernon.
She restarted the task force when she took office in 2000. It had been in operation under former district attorney, now-Judge Ralph C. Warman, but waned when Warman was appointed to the bench.
The task force is fueled largely by municipal police officers who volunteer their off-duty time to work undercover, making arrests.
Fisher said since reforming, the task force has investigated 185 drug cases. As a result of those raids, Vernon said about $1 million in marijuana and cocaine has been taken off the streets of the county.
Vernon has appointed Assistant District Attorney Mark D. Brooks to run the task force for her office. Brooks was involved with the task force under Warman and handles most of the drug prosecutions in the county.
Vernon plans to institute a drug tip line that rings to her office. The number, 1-800-906-5339, will be answered by a recorded message that allows callers to anonymously leave tips on drug activity in the county. That line should be up and running in the next two weeks.
In the meantime, callers can directly contact the office at 724-430-1245 and leave tips. Those calls will also be anonymous.