To more effectively combat drug dealing in DeKalb County, Sheriff Roger Scott has requested $25,000 from the DeKalb County Board for an additional full-time narcotics investigator.

The Safety and Law Enforcement Committee will discuss the proposal at its meeting tonight, said committee Chairman Don Lundeen.

Adding the new position would replace one of several lost by the sheriff because of budget cuts in the early 1980s. Five detectives are responsible for county drug investigations, although no one works exclusively in this area. Detectives work part-time, adding drug investigations to their workload.

“All we do now is specifically follow tips as quickly as possible, depending upon the case load,” Scott said. “With another officer we could do immediate follow-up. We would be able to investigate a problem longer.”

The $25,000 requested includes salary, training time and fringe benefits, such as insurance, Scott said.

The committee believes the position requested by the sheriff is necessary, but availability of funding will determine its feasibility, Lundeen said.

Committee member Sam Bandy agreed. “If we could give him (Scott) 10 more people, we would,” Bandy said. “The sheriff is being conservative in asking for (just) two people.”

A surge in population growth, combined with an increase in development of the area, caused a greater demand on the county police force, Bandy said.

Also, increased drug trafficking and the time-consuming nature of drug cases contribute to an increased work-load for the narcotics division.

It is harder to build a case about drug dealing because there is less physical evidence.

“The nature of a drug investigation is such that it takes a long time,” Bandy said. “It’s not like a burglary, which is a one-time occurrence where you simply need to find the evidence and the burglar. It’s an ongoing chain of events.”

Scott said that if the county approves funding, he probably will designate someone who has worked in the area and is familiar with the sources to fill the position of drug investigator.

“It would be someone from the patrol division within the department,” he said.

Drug dealing is a serious problem and is getting worse, Scott said.

“Cocaine is the dominant problem in this area,” Scott said. “Right now it unfortunately is pretty well accepted and used by a variety of people.”

Thirty-five percent of tips about drug trafficking come through Crime Stoppers, 50 percent through informants and 15 percent from information developed by patrol officers, Scott said.

In the Crime Stoppers program, citizens can receive monetary rewards for giving tips to police about criminal activities if arrests result.

The sheriff’s department is part of a drug task force that also includes the city police, the University Police, and police in villages and towns throughout the county.