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34 °F 5 Day Forecast Thursday, December 18, 2003 Today's News | Classifieds | Autos | Homes | Jobs | Tempo | eSouthernOregon | Home Delivery SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map EXTRA Newspaper in Education Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People CLASSIFIEDS Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Find a Rental Place an ad eSouthernOregon Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar CUSTOMER SERVICE Frequent Questions Advertising Information Home Delivery Employment Contact Us Media Kit Network Affiliate Email Story to a Friend December 15, 2003 Cop has a ‘nose’ for drug busts By BUFFY POLLOCK for the Mail Tribune CENTRAL POINT � An officer assigned to patrol was recently named the Drug Enforcement Officer of the Year for the Southern Oregon region by the Oregon Narcotics Enforcement Association. Jared Banry, 31, who is certified by the state as a drug recognition expert, won the honor after being nominated by his department for the high number of drug arrests he has made while on patrol. "Most officers who win this are assigned specifically to narcotics enforcement units," said police Chief Mike Sweeny. "We felt his performance deserved recognition, especially when he’s compared to people who do this full time. He’s definitely got a nose for it." Sweeny said most recipients are officers assigned to special units who focus all their efforts on taking drugs off the streets. Advertisement "It’s kind of unusual for an officer from a department of this size to have the number of arrests that he’s generated in addition to doing his regular patrol duties," Sweeny said. Sweeny estimated Banry makes an average 20 drug arrests a year and is working on some 90 cases. Banry was also recognized by the ONEA for making the second-highest number of arrests for driving while under the influence of intoxicants. Banry’s father, Medford police Officer Nate Banry, said his son had been jokingly called a "drug sniffing dog on two legs," which he felt was more than accurate. But his son was quick to insist he was no expert. "I don’t like that word," Jared Banry said. "Evaluator is better because once you classify someone as an expert, it means there’s no room for improvement." Banry credits his success to utilizing the skills he was taught to help recognize signs of drug use in anyone he stops. "You’ll get people dancing around the side of their car, grinding their teeth. ... When you know what to look for, it gets to be pretty obvious," he said. "Drugs are like a global cancer. I would like to be full time getting them off the streets. If I were to be able to become a narcotics detective, I could do that for the remainder of my career. "They say that a good drug cop craves the drug as much as an addict. I find myself getting antsy, needing to find it. I tell people I arrest that I crave it as much as them but the difference is that I crave getting it off the street instead of putting in my body. They just kind of chuckle." Buffy Pollock is a free-lance writer living in Medford. E-mail her at [email protected]. Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright © 1997-2003 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions Website Feedback 3 WEEKS FREE! ADVERTISERS SPECIAL SECTIONS Auto Finder Job Finder Home Finder Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Tempo Real Estate Showcase Food for Thought Hike of the Week Wellness Connection Outdoor Journal Moving to Southern Oregon? Volunteer Openings Prime Times