County Drug Task Force to be disbanded

By ART LAWLER

The Henderson County Drug Task Force — which has been credited for bringing down methamphetamine operations and drug dealers since 2003 — will cease to exist as of Oct. 1, Henderson County Sheriff Ray Nutt said Wednesday.

That’s when Investigator Kenny Collard returns to Gun Barrel City as a patrol officer.

A tough economy and budgetary needs were given as reasons for the change.

“We’re also pulling in one of our warrant officers,” GBC City Manager Gerry Boren said.

Sheriff Ray Nutt said he understands the necessity for the budget cuts. Nonetheless, he is concerned about the cutbacks.

“We’ll no longer have a narcotics task force as of Oct. 1,” Nutt said.

Instead it will be back to the three investigators the county had prior to the task force’s creation.

More than 35 meth labs were recovered the first year of it’s creation by then Sheriff Ronny Brownlow in 2003. It was by far the most lab busts of any county in Texas.

“I hate it for us, and for Gun Barrel City,” said Captain Kay Langford, who heads up the Sheriff’s Criminal Investigation Division for the county. “But we’ll continue to do what we do. Gun Barrel City has been a big help on the narcotics unit.”

At its height, the unit had five full-time investigators and one part-time investigator. Prior to that, the HCSO had only two investigators for the entire county. That’s when the methamphetamine problem got out of control, prompting the formation of the task force under Brownlow.

With Collard returning to police duties in GBC, only three investigators remain — all members of the Sheriff’s Department.

The Drug Task Force had been made up of members of the Henderson County Sheriff’s Department, with the idea that each law-enforcement agency would also contribute one officer, if they could afford it, to work strictly with the agency.

With four investigators, the unit has continued to make impressive busts, especially since Jan. 1 when new Sheriff Ray Nutt hit the ground running and told his deputies they best do the same.

Asked if county criminals would welcome this news with joy, Gun Barrel City Police Chief Damon Boswell — an original task force member — said, “They’ll still know we’re out there.”

Boswell was replaced by Collard after Boswell became assistant and then chief of the GBC Police Department.

The Athens Police Department pulled out its task force officer last year, and Malakoff pulled its officer back several years ago.

Just because the task force won’t exist as of Oct. 1, doesn’t mean a stake has been driven through its heart, according to Boswell and APD Chief Buddy Hill.

“It was never the intent of this department to pull out of the task force permanently,” Hill said. “I just had personnel needs that had to be addressed. We have to provide a certain amount of services that citizens expect. But I will probably donate an officer to the task force in the next few months.”

Hill emphasized that his officers continue to work on drug cases, and to assist the Sheriff’s Department’s narcotics investigators.

“Whenever they need assistance with their operations, they notify us, and we’re glad to assist them, he said. “The (county) drug enforcement unit works closely with our investigators to enhance the narcotics initiative.”

Boswell said it was his decision to bring Collard back to fill needs within the GBC Police Department.

“We were getting short staffed on patrol, and we needed to fill a spot,” he said. “The call loads are coming up. We pulled a warrant officer, Tiffani Carrizales out of warrants and Collard out of narcotics, to fill the voids.”

Boren said the decision saved the city close to $100,000, which can be used in other areas.

“It really ain’t gonna weaken it,” said Boswell. “If they (the task force) need help, we’ll help as much as we can. I’ve got experience and Collard has experience in it. Larry Warrick, assistant chief, has experience, too.”

“I don’t think it’s as bad as people think it is,” Boswell said. “We all work together. It’s not going to take a hit. We wouldn’t let it get back to what it was.”

Nutt said he understands the economic situation both on the county and city levels. At the same time, he said Henderson County could keep “six to eight narcotics officers busy at all times,” if the money was available.