Anti-drug initiative loses funding

GREENVILLE – (AP) Washington County has lost funding for its community anti-drug program that has operated for 25 years.

Audine Hayes, executive director of the Anti-Drug Community Partnership RADAR Center, tells the Delta Democrat Times that the Mississippi Department of Mental Health chose to close it down by the end of summer due to budget cuts.

Hayes said the RADAR Center began as a 12-person task force comprised of Hayes, law enforcement officials, business professionals and school administrators who chose to take a proactive approach in changing the lives of youth in the Delta. That 12-person group eventually expanded to more than 150.

“It was a valuable asset to the community,” said Mildred Barnett, the center’s community outreach director.

“It wasn’t just about a paycheck. We were very fortunate to have been in the community.”

One of the group’s earliest initiatives was to combat gang activity.

“Certain officials didn’t want to admit we had a gang problem,” Hayes said.

But more than 400 Washington County residents attended the organization’s first session to show support for addressing the problem, she said.

“We started working in the parks because that was something that didn’t cost a lot of money,” she said. “People could actually see a difference right away, so we cleaned up several parks.”

Hayes said that cleanup included removing gang graffiti from areas such as Strange Park in Greenville. The group proved tireless. Task force members painted over graffiti five times. Eventually the graffiti ended.

“We went all over the county doing park parties so folks could reclaim their own parks, their own areas,” Hayes said. “That’s the only way you’re going to solve problems, when the whole community comes together and works on one issue.”

What started as a park initiative blossomed into an awareness campaign targeting substance abuse, teenage pregnancy and dropouts.

The RADAR Center has since sponsored Red Ribbon Week programs and events for Make A Difference Day in local schools. Prevention activities were also conducted at the Boys & Girls Club of Washington County.

“Our mission was to get people to work together to solve problems so that our young people could grow up to be productive citizens,” Hayes said.

Hayes said prevention materials are being donated to the Washington County Sheriff’s Department, Greenville Police Department, Mississippi Tobacco-Free Coalition and other groups.