Houston Community Newspapers details a meeting between concerned African American residents of Conroe, Tx. and the town police about a one-year "war on drugs" declared by the mayor there. The residents' well-founded fears? That the small-town drug war will target African Americans.

Conroe resident Carl White said he questioned whether the War on Drugs was just another way to place young minorities behind bars with no real rehabilitative process or alternatives.

Not to worry, Conroe police say. (Of course, racial targeting never happens in the drug war!)

The "mostly black area" targeted by the crackdown will involve "more officers and undisclosed tactics to the tune of more than $300,000 between Aug. 1 [2004] and Sep. 2005."

Also, Conroe police say that if their year-long "war on drugs" fails, residents shouldn't worrry, because they have a fall-back plan:

"If this plan doesn't work, we're going to find another one," said the Conroe Police Deputy Chief. "And if that doesn't work we'll find another one. We are not going to stop."

Whole story here.