NATCHEZ — The Natchez-Adams law enforcement community is about to get some help from high places.

With the opening of the new federal courthouse comes the appointment of a fulltime deputy marshal assigned by the U.S. Marshal Service.

And this news has Natchez Police Chief Mike Mullins and Sheriff Ronny Brown excited.

Both men said having a deputy right in their own backyard is an enormous asset.

Reporting to duty next Monday, the deputy will have his own responsibilities pertaining to the court but will also give aid to local law enforcement.

The connections the marshal has are extremely valuable Mullins said.

“He has access to things that we just don’t have,” Mullins said.

Mullins said normally if a local law enforcement agency needs access a federal agency there is a long list of phone calls and procedures that need to be followed.

However, a deputy with all those pre-existing connections right here in Natchez makes things much easier Mullins said.

Brown said access to the FBI’s crime lab that the new deputy will have will be a tremendous asset.

As of now, Brown said, the county’s evidence is processed via the state’s lab in Jackson.

“It’s a slow procedure,” he said.

Brown said in the future he hopes to be able to use technology that the FBI has to process evidence in high profile cases.

Most recently marshals aided law enforcement in Miss-Lou area by apprehending suspected murderer Tyrone Lacaze.

Lacaze was wanted for murder in Natchez and was hiding out in Ferriday.

Since Mississippi authorities cannot travel to Louisiana to make arrests the marshals were able to step in.

Mullins said it is not uncommon for suspects to flee the state in order to evade local authorities.

So while local authorities can’t leave the state for arrests, marshals can.

“If (the deputy marshal) can contact marshals in another state for an arrest that’s great,” he said.

And while local authorities are exited about the new help on the way the U.S. Marshals are excited too.

Chief Deputy of the U.S. Marshal Service for the Southern District of Mississippi said a deputy marshal in any community is an asset to the area.

“He can serve to act as a force multiplier,” he said.