Archived Story

Deal reached on Metro unit

Published 12:04am Thursday, September 27, 2012

NATCHEZ — Since the inception of Metro Narcotics, any funds that resulted from the seizure of drugs, cash and other goods have been channeled back into the task force’s operating budget.

But now, some of that money might be flowing into the coffers of the two local law enforcement agencies that jointly operate Metro Narcotics, the Natchez Police Department and the Adams County Sheriff’s Office.

During a recent joint meeting of the county board of supervisors and city board of aldermen, Natchez Mayor Butch Brown said he would like to see proceeds from drug seizures directed to the agency that initiated the police action that resulted in the seizure.

Earlier this week, Natchez City Attorney Hyde Carby told the aldermen an agreement to tweak the interlocal agreement creating Metro Narcotics had been reached.

“The only difference in the agreement is that in the event there is a drug bust in which a forfeiture is involved, the initiating agency — either the police department or the sheriff’s office — gets a 20 percent cut of any cash and fees,” Carby said.

The city felt such a change was a good way to raise salaries or buy new equipment for the police department, Carby said.

“It is a change that is beneficial to the sheriff’s office or to the

police department,” he said. “It is certainly fair since we both get something out of it.”

The changes would still need to be ratified by the Adams County supervisors.

Under the current agreement, if a police officer or a deputy suspects drug involvement in a crime, Metro Narcotics is contacted, and anything seized is forfeited to Metro to fund its operations, including the purchase of equipment and training.

Adams County Sheriff Chuck Mayfield said the change is not something he wanted but it was not something over which he wanted to fight.

“I am certainly not going to fight about it and lose the unit over it,” Mayfield said.

Any proceeds the sheriff’s office might receive from any drug forfeitures would be directed back to Metro Narcotics, he said.

“(Metro is) using the money from the drug community to fund the enforcement against the drug community instead of having to go to the tax payers every year,” Mayfield said.

Under the new agreement, the police department and the sheriff’s department will provide a minimum of two officers each to the drug taskforce. Mayfield said that while the sheriff’s office is only required to supply two deputies, the four deputies already assigned to Metro Narcotics will be kept in place.

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  • Anonymous

    The Dons have come to terms on who controls the rackets.

  • Anonymous

    I’m just a normal citizen, and I think it would be wise that the funds (20%) should go towards salary raises or equipment, but not both. If it were to go towards purchasing equipment, then it would be like having petty cash, which I think would be wise. If it were to go towards raises, then there will, or could be, extra funds put aside so that the raises would always (hopefully) be available.

  • BenCole

    This is all wrong. Criminal cases are investigated and prosecuted in the name of “The State of Mississippi.” It’s the authority of the state that governs, controls, and empowers law enforcement agencies. Everything seized in the course of criminal prosecutions should be forfeited to The State of Mississippi. The legislature can pass legislation divvying out the proceeds of forfeitures, if it so elects … but forfeitures should never fall under “ownership” control of any local authorities or agencies, including police, sheriffs, MHP, or any others. Forfeitures “belong” to The People of the State of Mississippi. Make it so.

  • Anonymous

    CHUCK MAYFIELD; IS BACK IN THE NEWS AGAIN. FIRST, I WOULD LIKE TO ASK YOU SOMETHING ABOUT THE LAWSUIT. DO YOU TAKE “FULL RESPONSIBILITY” OF ANYONE ONCE THEY ARE INCARCERATED? IT’S NO DIFFERENCE THAN PRESIDENT OBAMA. ANYTHING, AND I MEAN ANYTHING THAT HAPPEN ON HIS WATCH, HE IS HELD RESPONSIBLE. SECONDLY, IF THE POLICE OFFICER HADN’T MADE THAT STOP, WOULD THAT MONEY BE IN YOUR POSSESSION NOW? THIRDLY, WHY ARE YOU SO GREEDY? CHUCK; I DON’T KNOW ABOUT ANYONE ELSE, BUT FOR ME, IT’S TIME FOR YOU TO GO. YOU CONTINUE TO CREATE CONFUSION. YOU REALLY WANTS TO BE THE BOSS OF N.A.C. YOU REFUSE TO WORK WITH THE COMMUNITY. JUST PACK UP AND GO, I’M TIRED OF SEEN YOUR NAME IN THE N.D.

  • Anonymous

    CHUCK; I JUST DON’T FEEL IT WHEN YOU SAY YOU ARE DOING THING SO YOU WANT HAVE TO GO TO THE TAX PAYERS, FOR THE SIMPLE REASON YOU ALWAYS GO TO THE TAX PAYERS. YOU MADE AN EXCUSE ABOUT NOT BEEN AUDIT, YOU TURN RIGHT AROUND AND WANT EVERY THING ELSE TO GO BY THE BOOK. THIS LITTLE INCIDENT THAT HAPPEN WITH THAT MONEY IS THE FIRST AND PROBABLY THE LAST TIME THAT WILL HAPPEN. OUT OF ALL OF THAT DRUG MONEY YOU HAVE RECEIVED IN THE PAST ; DO YOU WANT ME TO BELEIVE THAT IT HAS GONE TO METRO? IF IT DID, METRO SHOULD BE SUPER MAN BY NOW. SOME THINGS JUST DON’T ADD UP. WHAT’S DIFFERENT ABOUT METRO THAN ANY OTHER OFFICER? I DON’T KNOW ANYTHING BUT THE K-9. MY PERSONAL FEELINGS: YOU ALWAYS USE METRO AS YOUR WAY OF JUSTIFYING FOR ALL OF THAT MONEY. YOU KNOW AS WELL AS I KNOW ALL OF THAT MONEY IS NOT GOING ON METRO. CHUCK, I’M GOING TO SAY THIS, ALL OF THAT COVERING UP AND WRONG DOING YOU ARE DOING, WILL CATCH UP WITH YOU ONE DAY. ALSO, IF I WERE YOU, I WOULD HAVE GIVEN THE POLICE DEPT. HALF OF THAT MONEY FROM THE GET-GO. THAT’S WHAT YOU CALL; LAW ENFORCEMENT WORKING TOGETHER FOR THE BETTERMENT OF OUR COMMUNITY.

  • john smith

    Chuck must have arrested someone in your family. I am guessing for drugs. What’s up with the all caps you must be of lesser intelligence and feel the need to write like you talk, Loud and not making any sense.

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