LOCAL

Cherokee County Sheriff's Office investigators sworn for task force

Times Staff

The Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office joined the Alabama Regional Drug Task Force last summer, and last week two of its investigators were sworn in as task force members, according to Sheriff Jeff Shaver.

Chief Investigator Josh Summerford and Investigator Jeremy Stepps received Alabama Law Enforcement Agency credentials Thursday at the state Capitol from state Secretary of Law Enforcement Director Hal Taylor, and were commended by Department of Economic and Community Affairs Director Kenneth Boswell.

Shaver said the two investigators were required to pass background checks conducted by the state Bureau of Investigation, and with the ALEA credentials now will have statewide arrest powers.

The Alabama Regional Drug Task Force is a division of ALEA made up of seven regions; Cherokee County is part of Region F, which includes investigators and agents from the ALEA Narcotics Unit, the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office, Fort Payne Police Department, Cullman Police Department, Oneonta Police Department and the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office.

The regional task force is governed by a board of law enforcement professionals and will provide guidance to the Regional Task Force. Shaver is among the board members.

“We are proud to have been invited to participate in this newly formed group to help us combat illegal drug activity in Cherokee County,” Shaver said. “In addition to the seven investigators of our Investigation Division that are working drug crimes on a daily basis, this will give us access to more manpower and equipment from ALEA and other law enforcement agencies across the state.”

Summerford said the sheriff’s office received funding of about $25,000 for overtime and equipment, through ADECA, as part of this cooperative effort between the sheriff's office, ALEA and ADECA to fight drug crimes on a regional and state level.

Shaver said following the ceremony, they met with Attorney General Steve Marshall to discuss current issues effecting law enforcement and new computer forensics technology being developed in the attorney general’s office.

He said the sheriff’s office plans add an additional investigator to participate in the program in the near future.