Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Police Staffing topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Mount Vernon committee hears proposal to add second drug detective to police department
Summary
City police officials told the Employee and Community Relations Committee that a second dedicated drug detective would increase drug‑investigation coverage, support recovery referrals and is already budgeted for in this year’s salary lines.
Detective Sergeant Justin Willis of the Mount Vernon Police Department told the Employee and Community Relations Committee that the department is asking the council to allow a second dedicated drug detective to expand drug‑focused investigations and outreach.
Willis said the department has moved a detective into a drugs role since last fall and that a two‑person drug unit would provide at least 40 additional hours of coverage per week, let patrol officers know “what they’re looking for,” and make it easier to follow up on intelligence and nighttime activity. “Drugs don’t always move, you know, Monday through Friday, 8 to 4,” Willis said.
The department provided several operational figures to describe demand: it reported 95 drug indictments in 2023, 101 in 2024 and 21 so far this year; about a pound of meth seized in 2023 and 1.75 pounds in 2024; and a rise in fentanyl seizures over the last two years. Willis also said the department responded to multiple overdose incidents — four overdose deaths in 2023, five in 2024, and two cases pending toxicology so far this year — and credited wider Narcan availability with preventing additional deaths.
Willis described recent enforcement and community work, including a prescription drug take‑back day that allowed the department to return collected medication to the DEA and participation in a countywide task force. He said gun recoveries are continuing into the current year and that a second drug detective would help both enforcement and connections to recovery services.
On cost and staffing, the chief told council members the position was included in this year’s budget. The chief reported the department is about $83,826 under budget for planned salary lines for the year, and said overtime management and scheduling changes have reduced overtime costs. The chief also described recruitment challenges and said the city’s wages and a proposed local training academy (COTC facility) could help increase applicant numbers.
No formal vote on creating the position was recorded in the committee discussion. Committee members asked about deployment, coverage and safety protocols for officers working around fentanyl; Willis said the department requires gloves and follows protocols to avoid direct contact with unknown powders. The chief said the department is part of the Knox County Drug Coalition and works with neighboring agencies on coordinated operations.
The Employee and Community Relations Committee adjourned after the discussion and moved next to the Land Use and Development agenda.
