Local law enforcement join MBN task force
STARKVILLE, Miss. (WCBI) – The Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics is expanding its footprint in the Golden Triangle.
Area law enforcement agencies are coming together for one common goal: to fight crime.
The Golden Triangle Area Violent Crimes Task Force swore in three new members on Monday in Starkville.
This agency was created by the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics.
Oktibbeha County Sheriff’s Office just joined.
“Joining this here, we can pull from other agencies, such as Lowndes County, Clay County, and also pull from the state. Resources are the biggest things that help us now,” said Oktibbeha County Sheriff Shank Phelps.
Sheriff Shank Phelps said MBN reached out to his department some months ago about joining, but it finally became official this week.
Any agency apart of the task force gets statewide access to solve cases.
OCSO Investigator Tanner Pritchard was one of the deputies sworn in.
“It’s great, really excited to be work together, to try to bring public safety obviously, but making more connections where we can all work together,” said Pritchard.
Agencies will have access to MBN training, equipment, and other resources.
Lowndes County Sheriff Eddie Hawkins said the task force will make it easier to target drugs, guns, and gang activity that cross county lines.
“We’re dealing with the same people that cross jurisdictional lines, so it just makes sense to be able to join resources like this and work towards that common goal,” said Hawkins.
In total, six agents from the Golden Triangle are now part of the team, with members from Lowndes, Oktibbeha, Clay, Noxubee, and West Point and Starkville Police.
The task force also partners with the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation and 16th Circuit Court District Attorney’s Office.
“We’ll be able to investigate the case thoroughly, get everybody working together and you know, solve the case quicker as well,” said Pritchard.
The Violent Crimes Task Force is already in effect.
