HATTIESBURG CHIEF WANTS DRUG UNIT

A rift between the Hattiesburg Police Department and the Forrest-Perry
County Metro Narcotics Unit over Hattiesburg's decision to create its own
drug enforcement team could be resolved Thursday, Hattiesburg Police Chief
David Wynn said. Wynn said he hopes some issues concerning the city's new
task force will be cleared up at the Metro Narcotics Task Force's monthly
board meeting. He wouldn't comment on specific concerns he had with the
narcotics task force, but he said having a city unit focused on the drug
problem is needed.

"We feel there's a drug problem of such a nature that deserves a full-time
unit," he said. "I believe the unit will work in cooperation with Metro and
MBN, and any other agencies interested in eradicating drugs from the city of
Hattiesburg."

The Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics is the state agency. The Metro Task
Force is comprised 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 issue of creating a city task force came up at a Monday Hattiesburg City
Council work session when several council members criticized Wynn for a
decrease in drug arrests. According to department statistics, there were 346
drug cases in the first 10 months of the year as opposed to 508 reported for
the same time period in 2001.

Wynn said the city would retain its membership in the metro group and
continue supplying two officers.

Hattiesburg City Attorney Charles Lawrence talked about the issue at the
Monday Hattiesburg City Council session, explaining the rift between the
city and the narcotics agency has prevented the city from creating its own
narcotics units.

Lawrence defended the city's crime-fighting efforts after some council
members questioned Wynn's ability to head the department. Lawrence said he
believes miscommunication is behind the Metro board members' questioning of
a duplication of services if two narcotics units are to work in Hattiesburg.

"I think it was misperceived also that the city was saying that Metro wasn't
doing what it was supposed to do," he said. "The city just wanted to put
extra people on the problem. But the misunderstanding did delay the city's
drug task force from beginning."

Forrest County Sheriff Billy McGee, a member of the Metro Task Force board,
would not comment on specifics of the conflict between the agencies. He said
Wynn has not asked the Metro task force to be involved with drug cases the
Hattiesburg task force is handling.

"Let's just see what comes out of the Thursday meeting," McGee said.

The agency serves the two counties, and the police chiefs and sheriffs from
those departments make up the Metro board members.

Perry County Sheriff Carlos Herring said he knows the Hattiesburg drug unit
will be on the agenda for the meeting Thursday, but he said he didn't know
all of the issues involved.

"The chief told me they were starting a narcotics team," he said. "And I
don't think all the issues have matured yet from a discussion."

Salaries for the Metro task force agents are paid from a federal grant.

One sticking point between the agencies could be which agency benefits from
items seized during drug raids, such as cars and weapons.

Metro's policy calls for a 50 percent split between Metro task force and
assisting agencies.

Wynn said Mississippi law calls for 80 percent to go to the arresting agency
and 20 percent to the assisting agency.

Wynn did not say if the new task force will keep the same forfeiture
standards. The new city drug enforcement team would include three
Hattiesburg officers.

Wynn said details concerning communication between the two agencies will
have to be worked out.

"I believe there are enough drugs in the city for the six guys (Metro
agents) plus some," he said.

Wynn said he had contacted the state narcotics agency to help find space to
house the Hattiesburg drug group. The Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics has an
office in Lamar County, but Wynn said they told him no space was available
for the force.

Hattiesburg City Council President Carter Carroll, who was critical of
Wynn's leadership at the Monday council meeting, said he doesn't know where
officers for the drug task force will come from because the department is
short 18 officers.

"Our drug arrests are down right now because I don't think we have enough
patrol officers on the streets to make arrests," he said. "What is the
problem (with Metro)? I know we didn't have these problems in the past. But
if we can't patrol the streets, where do we come off doing this (starting
task force)?"

Wynn said the city's drug team members will come from the ranks of the
department. He would not elaborate.