The Noel Marshal's Office is cracking down on crime, eradicating several drug houses from the city and making charges stick.
Mayor Lewis Davis said "quite a few" drug houses have been eliminated. "Several that we knew were drug houses have moved out of town," he said. At least two houses caught on fire -- fires which officials suspect may have started due to cooking meth.
"We are not sure because they were old houses," Davis said.
In all, police presence is cleaning up crime in Noel.
"Crime is on the downhill slide," Davis said. "The police are solving more of the crime than they did in the past couple of years."
Davis and Marshal Randy Wilson say the improvement comes from solid information and evidence that enables officials to pick up and jail suspects.
"We are trying to ascertain harder evidence to charge, convict and see them serve time," Davis said.
Wilson said he and his staff are working hard to get results when charging suspects with infractions. Holding suspects accountable and charging them has made a big difference, he said.
"We're not just taking crime off the street," Wilson said, but having those subjects charged and jailed.
"We're seeing more people arrested for the crime now. That shows the public that we are actually out there, doing our job."
Wilson took over as Marshal in September. The office continues to see a high amount of incidents. Officials recorded 2,181 cases by year's end.
Wilson hopes to improve the city's reputation and make it difficult for drug dealers to stay comfortable within the city limits.
Coordinating officers' schedules also has made a difference. Wilson said the officers rotate different schedules, which has been effective in reducing crime around the clock.
Davis said Wilson's scheduling efforts are resulting in change. "He's doing a good job on scheduling," Davis said. "They know they're being watched. All in all, they're doing a much better job with thieves and drugs."
Cases in thefts are also decreasing. The thieves steal property to resell to get money for drugs, Davis said.
Since Wilson took over in September until the end of the year, Noel had 64 arrests, Wilson said. This year, the Marshal's Office has already logged 216 cases and 22 arrests.
The residents and those who operate businesses have applauded the Marshal's Office for its efforts.
"All areas are starting to see progress," Wilson said.
One of those signs include less milling around downtown at night.
Wilson's long-term goal includes bringing back "The Christmas City" in all its glory, and reinfusing the tourism industry. He wants to see Noel resume its years-ago popularity when people flocked to the little town to camp, canoe, see local caves and explore.
For Wilson, the first steps in that long road includes cleaning up crime.
Davis agrees.
"We would like to see all the drug people out of town," Davis said.
General News on 02/20/2020