Guin PD proposes creation of Drug Enforcement Unit

GUIN — Guin Police Chief Daryl Spencer and officer Jason Rhudy spoke to the Guin City Council during its meeting on Monday, June 1, to propose the creation of a Drug Enforcement Unit.
Rhudy cited stats displaying an increase in trafficking arrests made over the last few years, as well as multiple complaints of suspected narcotics activity at multiple locations throughout the city.
“What we have done has basically just been reactive to what we’ve come up on,” Spencer said. “We haven’t had a chance to be proactive on it. What we have is merely reactive.”
The proposed Drug Enforcement Unit would allow the Guin Police Department to be more proactive in addressing the drug issue. Rhudy spoke to the council and also requested a narcotics canine.
Mayor Bobby Bellew said that based on discussion he’d had with the police department, the up-front cost for the city would be around $20,000. The recurring annual cost would be around $2,500.
The canine would be cared for by an officer, and the vet care and food would be included in the starting and recurring costs.
Rhudy and Spencer also explained that having the dog would not only be an asset for Guin, but for departments and cities in the surrounding area who might need assistance, and would even open up opportunities with state task forces.
If the canine is used to assist another department in a bust, Guin Police would be allowed to keep a certain percentage of any seized cash, which would be a potential additional source of revenue for the department.
Rhudy revealed at least one local business owner had offered to donate additional funding for such an enforcement unit if the council approved its creation.
The council voted to do exactly that, and approved the proposal. The council also voted to create a dedicated bank account for the police department to receive those donations.
In addition, the council approved new police policies, including a new narcotics surveillance and controlled buy policies, confidential informant policies and policies regarding written consent requirements for the use of private property for surveillance.
Earlier in the meeting, Spencer also shared about the results of the ‘Click it or Ticket’ campaign that resulted in several stops, one of which led to the discovery of narcotics that led to the drug bust made in Winfield the week prior.
In other business, Kyle Williams and Jake Franks spoke with the council on behalf of Marion County High School to look into the idea of constructing a weight room.
Williams and Franks brought up the idea of partnering with the city and using the Munsingwear pad near the high school as a site to build some sort of facility, which could serve as a weight room or potentially even a multi-purpose structure.
The council, Williams and Franks also discussed the possibility of bringing the park into the partnership, as well.
Franks said having more space would be beneficial for other sports, too, such as track and field and cross country, which lack their own dedicated spaces. Councilman Mineo Lindsey also asked what the cost of building a new structure would be compared to renovating the old National Guard armory.
No decisions were made during the meeting, as Williams and Franks stated their main goal was just to ask if they could look into these possibilities, which the mayor and council were on board with.
The council also heard from Guin resident Diane Inscoe, who presented the council with concerns regarding abandoned properties, and potential solutions, such as raising taxes on those properties or taking the sites and using them for more housing or other projects to bring money back into the community.
The council also discussed potential work that could be done on the elementary school enrichment center building so it can be used as a classroom and meet regulations, before tabling a mental health resolution and then adjourning.