The last straw

for Derryll Anderson was when she saw a drug deal go down on Church Street

while a group of school children were getting off the bus in the afternoon.

So she invited

community members and law enforcement officials to a meeting Wednesday

night to discuss the problem of illegal drugs in the neighborhood.

Instead, Anderson

got an earful about how drug "junkies" need help and love, not

criticism from others.

Church Street

resident Wesley Starr, who admitted to having a drug problem, said he

was entering a treatment program Thursday. But he felt the drug activity

on Church Street didn't cause a problem for the community.

"We don't

make noise, we don't fight, we don't shoot," Starr said. "...

I made a choice to do what I do but I do it to myself."

Starr also

chastised Anderson for getting on his case about his drug problem during

a recent confrontation between the two.

Anderson apologized

to Starr and any others she has offended, but she explained she wants

to see the Church Street area improve by curbing drug activity and replacing

dilapidated homes with new structures to lure young families there.

Thomas Stephens,

whose mother owns one of the houses on Church Street, said Anderson's

crusading efforts will result in the house being torn down; it would be

too expensive to bring it up to code although improvements have been made

to the house, Stephens said.

"Because

of you, two people are gonna be put out on the street," Stephens

said, noting that he "grew up with" the guys renting the house.

"... The police went inside the house as a result of your work and

found nothing."

"If I

have to be blamed for it, so be it," Anderson replied.

One resident

said it is important to treat drug addicts with respect: "Sometimes

these drug addicts are the smartest people."

Another resident

echoed that sentiment: "If I'm gonna be what I say I am, I've gotta

love them."

Yet another

said he was more worried about vehicles running the stop sign near the

park on Church Street than drug activity in the community.

Fayetteville

Police Chief Johnny Roberts said the department has had undercover officers

in the neighborhood recently but of 114 incidents on Church Street since

1993, only 13 arrests were made for drug violations.

"I think

we have responded pretty well to any complaints from you and other residents,"

Roberts said, also lauding the cooperation the police department has with

the Fayette County Sheriff's Department, which operates a drug task force.

Roberts said

the community's assistance is vital to keeping the neighborhood safe.

Phillip Cherry,

the officer in charge of Fayette County's state probation office, said

it can be difficult to get drug treatment for those who want to try and

break the habit. The judicial circuit does have access to a fairly intensive

program in Griffin, however, and judges can order offenders into the program

if necessary, Cherry said.

Local judges

are also good about dealing with probationers who are on probation for

drug charges but fail their court-required drug tests, officials said.

"The judge

will back us up and they routinely put them in jail," Cherry said.

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