Message From New COMBAT Director

For more than 30 years, COMBAT has been at the heart of Jackson County’s efforts to reduce crime, support treatment and strengthen communities. This work has never been about one office or one individual, it has been the product of dedicated leadership, tireless service from our agencies and partners, and, most importantly, the continued trust and support of the community.

I want to begin by expressing my deep appreciation to the past COMBAT directors who have guided this work across three decades. Each brought unique vision and commitment that has left an indelible mark on our county. To our partner agencies—those working every day in prevention, treatment and justice—thank you for your passion, innovation and steadfast service. And to the residents of Jackson County, thank you for backing the anti-crime tax that makes these efforts possible. Your belief in this mission has allowed COMBAT to invest directly in the programs and people striving to create safer neighborhoods.

As I step into this role, I am both humbled and honored to lead COMBAT into its next chapter. We face challenges, yes, but also tremendous opportunities. Together we can build a COMBAT of the future—one defined by transparency in how we work, collaboration with those on the front lines, strategies rooted in community voice, and decisions guided by data and evidence.

This is a responsibility we all share. Creating safer neighborhoods, expanding opportunity, and ensuring justice are not tasks for one office alone; they require the collective energy, wisdom and hope of our entire county. My commitment is to walk alongside you, to listen and to ensure COMBAT continues to deliver on the promise of safety and well-being for every resident.

I invite you to join us in this work—not just as observers but as partners. With your continued engagement, we can ensure that COMBAT remains not only a funding source, but a driving force for transformation in Jackson County.

Thank you for your trust. Thank you for your partnership. Together, we can build a safer tomorrow.

Respectfully,

Murray Woodard II, COMBAT Director

More Than 700,000 Potential Lethal Doses

In 2025, COMBAT was budgeted to provide the Jackson County Drug Task Force $3,982,251. How high a price can you put on keeping more counterfeit pills and other drugs laced with fentanyl, the potentially deadly synthetic opioid, from being sold in our neighborhoods?

Through the first six months of 2025, the Jackson County Drug Task Force had seized 3.15 pounds of fentanyl (in both M-30 pills and powder form), which equates to 1,428 grams. Just two milligrams of fentanyl—one five-hundredth of a single gram—is enough to cause a fatal overdose.

Do the math: 1,428 grams equals 1,428,000 milligrams; divide that by two and you get 714,000 potential lethal doses of fentanyl. Jackson County's current population, according to the Census Bureau, is 727,362.

The Jackson County Task Force confiscated nearly 20,000 grams of fentanyl in all of 2024 and 2023 combined.

When announcing drug-trafficking charges against a Grandview man in September, County Prosecutor Melesa Johnson cited the life-saving work of the Task Force "for their outstanding investigative work that has undoubtedly saved lives by taking these drugs out of our neighborhoods."

»  Charges Filed Against Grandview Man
» Prosecutor's Office Secures 7-year Sentence In Another Task Force-Related Case

Questions, comments or suggestions can be sent to COMBAT Communications Administrator Joe Loudon (jloudon@jacksongov.org).