HPD BOOTED FROM DRUG TASK FORCE

Disagreements about mo-ney and control of officers led the Forrest-Perry
County Metro Narcotics Task Force board to oust the Hattiesburg Police
Department from the agency Thursday. The announcement from the board came
after an hour-long meeting behind closed doors.

Forrest County Sheriff Billy McGee said the board was unable to resolve
differences with Hattiesburg Police Chief David Wynn, who announced earlier
this week his intention to start a separate drug task force.

"We felt it was a problem having two competing drug agencies in this area,"
McGee said. "My concern is what this does to law enforcement at the end of
the day. We're divided over money - a drug offender's money. This doesn't
do anything for the brotherhood."

The Metro Task Force is made up of two officers from Hattiesburg, two from
the Forrest County Sheriff's Department and one each from the Petal Police
Department and the Perry County Sheriff's Department. The six agents work
exclusively on narcotics cases in the two-county area.

Wynn said he wants to begin a narcotics unit with three Hattiesburg
officers but sought to remain a member of the Metro Task Force.

McGee said board members proposed to Wynn that the three agents could be
part of the Metro Task Force, but primarily work drug cases in the city.
Wynn said he wanted the city's new drug unit to remain separate from the
Metro Task Force.

"I feel the unit we are starting is vital to the city of Hattiesburg," he
said. "I feel they should not be a part of Metro, but focus on Hattiesburg.
Hopefully, we'll have that unit up by the first of January."

The decision to start a Hattiesburg drug unit was disclosed at a
Hattiesburg City Council meeting Monday. At that meeting, Wynn was
criticized for a drop in drug arrests in the city and increases in some
other crime categories. Councilwoman Betsy Rowell, who, along with council
members C.E. "Red" Bailey and Carter Carroll, criticized Wynn's leadership,
said she is concerned about the decision to remove Hattiesburg from the
Metro Task Force, she said she wants to meet with Mayor Johnny DuPree as
soon as possible.

"I'm very concerned about the direction we're headed in and really want to
know a lot more," Rowell said. "We need to have a meeting to gain some type
of understanding with what happened today. I hope that's something that
will happen Friday."

DuPree could not be reached for comment Thursday. He has said he supports Wynn.

Wynn defended his role as chief, pointing out that overall felony crimes
reported to the FBI during the first 10 months of this year are down 13
percent over the same period last year.

McGee said the Forrest County Sheriff's Department will add two more agents
to the Metro Task Force unit after another agreement between the remaining
agencies is written. He said it could take three to six months for a new
agreement to take effect. Metro agents are paid $23,000 annually from a
federal grant of $200,000. Agents' pay can be supplemented by their home
agency.

Metro Task Force rules call for any money seized in drug cases to be
shared. Under the pact, 10 percent goes to the Forrest-Perry County
District Attorney's office for handling paperwork, 45 percent goes to the
task force and 45 percent goes to assisting agencies.

"Hattiesburg chose not to attach their three agents to Metro," McGee said.
"He (Wynn) wanted exclusive direction of those agents and he would not
accept the 45-45 split."

Wynn said he wanted 80 percent of the forfeited money collected in drug
cases. He also said he wants Hattiesburg to have the separate drug agency
to handle the increase in drug activity.

"I believe our increase in crime is directly related to drug activity," he
said. "That is the only reason I proposed a drug unit in Hattiesburg."

Petal Police Chief Lee Shelbourn said the board members voted in the best
interest of curtailing drug activity in the metro area.

"The options made available were not acceptable to Chief Wynn," Shelbourn
said. "I feel like appropriate actions were taken. I know we can't stop it,
but we can curtail drug use and sales in the area. We're interested in
doing whatever's necessary to make the biggest effect on drugs in this
area. Whatever it takes, we'll do it. We feel strongly that a united effort
is much more effective than any single entity alone."

Carroll did not comment about the board's decision.