An agreement between the City of Columbus and Lowndes County could be bad news for those associated with illegal drugs. At Tuesday’s city council meeting, the council voted unanimously to re-enter into an interlocal agreement with the Lowndes County Board of Supervisors to continue Metro Narcotics, a joint task force between the Columbus Police Department and the Lowndes County Sheriff’s Office.
The unit is currently housed in a building formerly occupied by Maxxim Medical in Yorkville Park Square. But high utility bills and maintenance issues have been the source of numerous financial headaches. In May, the board of supervisors voted to move the unit’s offices into the former Justice Court facility on Airline Road.
“The agreement mostly states the city agrees to split the expenses with the county on utilities, phone and providing a secretary,” Chief Financial Officer Mike Bernsen said. “We pay for our officers and the county pays for theirs. This is the way it’s been since it was started about three years ago.”
Sheriff Mike Arledge said the new agreement eliminates some old language and sets clear parameters for a chain of command.
“The old agreement was between (former Lowndes County Sheriff) Butch Howard and (former Police Chief) Joe St. John,” Arledge said. “This places metro under the direction of myself and Chief Selvain McQueen.”
Arledge said the new agreement cuts the number of mandatory officers from four to three per entity.
“We are providing three agents and the city is currently providing two, but they will be bringing a third officer on soon,” Arledge said. “It is also states the sheriff is the head of Metro Narcotics. Metro Narcotics has been a great thing. By us working together, we now have county-wide jurisdiction.”
The county-wide presence has been effective in curtailing illegal drug activity in both the city and the county, Arledge said.
“There are a lot of drug dealers in the county and both the city and the county may have been working the same people,” he said. “Now, we work together and share intelligence. In the first part of this year, we have taken about $1 million in drugs off the streets. We have processed about $30,000 in cash and we have seized seven or eight vehicles. At some point, we will be awarded the cash and vehicles and it will go back into our budget. Having a metro unit also gives us a better relationship with the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics. They share intelligence with us and help us with raids and busts.”
Arledge acknowledges the existence of a drug problem in the county.
“Yes, we have a drug problem in Lowndes County,” he said. “But I don’t think it’s any worse than anywhere else. It just gets in the spotlight here because we are being aggressive and our guys are working hard.”
Jeff Clark was previously a reporter for The Dispatch.
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