VIDALIA — The leaders of the three leading law enforcement bodies in Concordia Parish announced the formation of an intergovernmental felony task force today.

The Concordia Parish Sheriff’s Office, the Ferriday Police Department and the Vidalia Police Department will form an eight-person team of investigators to investigate all major felonies in Concordia Parish.

“If there is an incident in Acme, then my people, the Sheriff’s Office and the Ferriday Police all go,” Vidalia Police Chief Ronnie G. “Tapper” Hendricks said. “The same thing happens if anything happens on Mickey Gilley Alley in Ferriday.”

The sheriff’s office approached the two police agencies with the idea, Ferriday Police Chief Kenneth Hedrick said.

“It was an old idea,” Hedrick said. “We used to have (a task force), but it had become inactive.”

With all three agencies working together, the time it takes to complete investigations should become shorter, Hendricks said.

“If you’re in the (Vidalia) city limits, normally you would only get one or two investigators,” Hendricks said. “With this, you get a team of eight members. It’s like the old saying, ‘Many hands make much work light.’”

The task force will be of tremendous benefit to Ferriday, Hedrick said.

“We are limited on money for investigators and what they can do,” Hedrick said.

Though officers from other agencies will be working within the municipalities, it will not affect the autonomy of the individual agencies, Hendricks said.

“If anything happens in Vidalia, I call the shots,” Hendricks said.

Hedrick agreed.

“I can tell them when to stop or start and call them in when they are needed,” he said.

The sheriff’s office hosted a press conference about the matter Tuesday morning, but could not be reached for comment later.

From the sheriff’s office, Investigators David Hedricks, Bobby Sheppard and Jack Fletcher will be on the team.

From the Ferriday Police, Investigator Johnny Evans will join the task force and from the Vidalia Police Investigators Drew Harrison and Randy Stockman, as well as Lt. Terance Williams will be a part of the investigative unit.

“We are now at a point where we can work together in the parish,” Hendricks said.