Video: New Albany Police Round Up Suspects Indicted On Drug Related Charges

NEW ALBANY, MISS. (WCBI) – The roundup of suspects began with a briefing at police headquarters, then it was time to hit the streets.

“This is just our effort to try and keep drugs out of the community,” said New Albany Police Chief Chris Robertson.  The chief and investigators have worked these cases for the past six months. A Grand Jury recently indicted the twenty people suspects, ranging in age from their early 20s to their mid 60s.

Special Response Team officers Ashley Kidd and Kevin Johnson let us ride along, as they made the arrests.

Patricia Gilbert and her son, Chris, were arrested at their New Albany apartment and taken to the Union County jail.

As the suspects are being processed, officers are deciding which address they will hit next, the bonds have been set and most of the suspects are repeat offenders.

“The majority of your offenders, they have been through this before, it’s not their first time and we’ have dealt with them before, a lot of these people, they go from place to place and it is hard to catch up with them, but we will get to them eventually,” Officer Kidd said.

In fact, one suspect wasn’t at a trailer park he’s known to frequent or at his estranged wife’s home.

The Union County Sheriff’s Office also helped.

Deputies were able to track down Amanda Blackard, who lives outside the city.

Robertson says the roundup sends a strong message.

“Every community I know, nowadays has some type of drug problem and if we don’t actively try to keep check of it and stamp it out where we can it will just be more problems,” Chief Robertson said.

The U S Marshals Service also assisted in the roundup, because some suspects live outside of the area.

Some of the people arrested remain in the Union County jail.