Sheriff's deputies arrested nine people in a drug-related sting Wednesday in a Lakeland gated community.

Detectives served a search warrant at 5532 Black Hawk Lane in the Hawks Ridge subdivision

and seized methamphetamine, drug paraphernalia, four firearms and evidence of a money counterfeiting operation, the Sheriff's Office said. Those arrested and their charges include:

Warren Crowder, 43, of 5532 Black Hawk Lane. Charged with possession of methamphetamine and possession of drug paraphernalia.

James Kunkle, 54, of 5532 Black Hawk Lane. Charged with possession of a concealed firearm, possession of methamphetamine, possession of drug paraphernalia, maintaining a dwelling for drug use, and possession of counterfeit U.S. currency.

Fancy Brown, 32, of 1645 West Oak Drive. Charged with possession of methamphetamine and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Justin Annis, 28, of 1645 West Oak Drive. Charged with possession of methamphetamine and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Chase Morton, 18, of 3835 Duff Road. Charged with possession of methamphetamine and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Thomas Huff, 38, of 2709 Providence Road. Charged with possession of counterfeit U.S. currency and possession of less than 20 grams of cannabis.

Jessica Jackman, 22, of 2008 Sweet Fern Place. Charged with possession of counterfeit U.S. currency and violation of probation for petit theft.

Stephen Weaver, 36, of 3406 Leslie Road. Charged with possession of counterfeit U.S. currency and possession of less than 20 grams of cannabis.

Shawn Whitford, 25, of 4985 Magnolia Ave. in Mulberry. Charged with violation of probation for battery.

New law says Florida prisoners can be shipped to other states

Strategy for overpopulation seen as a last resort

Steve Bousquet

Miami Herald Tallahassee Bureau

2:12 AM EDT, June 8, 2009

TALLAHASSEE

Copyright © 2009, South Florida Sun-Sentinel

Not only do the findings show "a clear link between drugs and crime," they also highlight the need to provide drug treatment, says Gil Kerlikowske, director of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy, which will make the data public Thursday.

Assessing offenders for drug and mental health problems and providing treatment is "important if you want to stop recidivism and recycling people through the system," says Kerlikowske, who supports drug courts that offer court-ordered drug treatment.

"There's an opportunity when someone is arrested to divert them to treatment if they need it," says Bill Piper, director of national affairs for the Drug Policy Alliance Network, a group that supports legalizing marijuana and treating drug use as a public health issue. "But people shouldn't have to get arrested to get treatment."

In 2008 researchers interviewed and obtained urine samples from 3,924 men arrested in 10 metropolitan areas: Atlanta, Charlotte, Chicago, Denver, Indianapolis, Minneapolis, New York, Portland, Ore., Sacramento and Washington, D.C.

In Chicago, 87% tested positive for drug use and in Sacramento, 78% tested positive. Many of the men — 40% in Chicago and 29% in Sacramento — tested positive for more than one drug.

Marijuana is the most common drug in every city where testing was done except Atlanta, where cocaine is most prevalent, the study found.

Methamphetamine use is concentrated on the west coast where 35% of the men arrested in Sacramento and 15% of the men arrested in Portland tested positive for the drug.

Heroin use is highest, at 29%, among men arrested in Chicago, an increase from 20% in 2007. Heroin use among arrestees declined in Portland, from 12% in 2007 to 8% in 2008.

Positive drug tests declined since 2007 among men arrested in Atlanta, Portland and Washington, the study found. Some of that decline can be attributed to law changes, Kerlikowske says.

Portland passed laws restricting access to ingredients needed to make methamphetamine, Kerlikowske says.

Cities and states need more resources for drug treatment, says Marc Mauer, executive director of The Sentencing Project, which advocates for alternatives to incarceration.

"If you just want drug treatment, in some places you are better off getting arrested and going to drug court," Mauer says.

"The federal resources that have gone into the drug war have been heavily oriented toward police and incarceration rather than treatment. We need to shift that use of resources," he says.