Gadsden Mayor wants to reallocate $300,000 from county drug enforcement to local task force

Gadsden Mayor Craig Ford is stripping Etowah County's Drug Enforcement Agency (DEU) of funding and resources to invest in the city's task force.

Ford said: “I was elected mayor of Gadsden. We have a drug problem there and I have to fix it.”

The mayor says the city is missing out on $300,000 annually to fund a predetermined portion of the DEU budget: “A lot of the funds were spent outside of Gadsden city limits and we want to thank the sheriff and everyone else for everything they've done, but it's time we moved the drug task force back to our department.”

Etowah County Sheriff Jonathon Horton says the high amounts Gadsden pays are due to the city's population and crime rate. He also believes the DEU has cracked down on drugs in the county, including on the streets of Gadsden. In July, there were 94 crimes, 46 of them in Gadsden.

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Horton said having two task forces could lead to productivity problems: “Even if the city goes ahead with its plan and takes control of drug enforcement in Gadsden itself, the Etowah County Drug Enforcement Unit and its many partners will continue to fight drugs in Gadsden. I just think it's better if we all work together.”

Horton also believes it could be dangerous: “It's a safety issue for officers. If you use the same informant, it's like child's play. And if too many people shoot, there can be crossfire.”

But Mayor Ford sees this as something positive for the residents of Gadsden and the entire Etowah County: “We have to take care of our own situation in the city of Gadsden. I think it's a win-win situation for both of us. We're moving from one task force to two task forces.”

The mayor's office says the total of $300,000 consists of the $120,000 paid annually to the DEU, as well as two officers, a secretary, and more.