NCIS Drug Team Disbands; Stephens Co. Joins Appalachian Drug Task Force

The Mountain Judicial Circuit N.C.I.S. Drug Team is no more.

Stephens County Sheriff Randy Shirley said that his office, along with the Rabun and Habersham County Sheriff’s Offices and the Toccoa Police Department, are now members of the Appalachian Drug Task Force starting today.

Shirley said the end of the N.C.I.S. Drug Team came over financial reasons.

“Our grant funding for the N.C.I.S. Drug Team has run out and will not be renewed,” said Shirley. “The three counties, we believe, cannot sustain the financial burden it would impose on the community to go out on our own.”

He went on to say the consolidation of drug task forces is something that is happening elsewhere in Georgia.

“The state is moving away from funding small task forces and is going in the direction of ‘mega’ task forces,” said Shirley.

The Appalachian Drug Task Force is based out of Cleveland, Georgia and is a collaborative effort between the Georgia Bureau of Investigation and local law enforcement.

Under the task force, the agency is supervised by the GBI in partnership with local law enforcement agencies.

Agencies in the Appalachian Drug Task Force include the Lumpkin County Sheriff’s Office, White County Sheriff’s Office, Towns County Sheriff’s Office, Banks County Sheriff’s Office and it works with the Enotah and Piedmont Judicial Circuits.

Shirley said moving into the Appalachian Drug Task Force will come with a number of benefits.

“It is cost effective,” said Shirley. “The intelligence base is so much better. You have statewide intelligence at your fingertips as opposed to having to make so many calls to different agencies.”

Meanwhile, officials with the Appalachian Drug Task Force said the addition of Stephens, Habersham, and Rabun counties will enhance coordination, information, intelligence sharing, and law enforcement efforts across the whole region.

Those officials also said that GBI supervision and training resources will assist in enhancing and improving law enforcement investigations and the resulting prosecutions in the judicial circuits covered by the task force.

Overall, Shirley said he feels it is the best move for Stephens County.

“I just believe the citizens of Stephens County will be best served moving in this direction,” said Shirley.

The Appalachian Drug Task Force said Stephens County and the other agencies joining will adopt and utilize the personnel assignment system and working model already in place.

Officials said personnel assigned to the drug task force will be selected from a pool of candidates supplied by the member agencies and vetted by the GBI.