The Hall County Sheriff’s Office has updated the title and job duties of the Multi-Agency Narcotics Squad, more commonly known as the MANS Unit.
The MANS Unit was established in the late 1980s with the sole focus of combatting illegal drugs in Hall County. Since its inception, the MANS Unit has been comprised primarily of Hall County Sheriff’s Office investigators with other agencies providing either full or part-time personnel. Among the agencies that participated in the work of the MANS Unit were the FBI, the GBI, the Hall County District Attorney’s Office and the Gainesville Police
Department. Over the years, these agencies have cycled in and out of their work with the MANS Unit.
In late 2021, the Gainesville Police Department made the difficult decision to reallocate its last remaining MANS Unit officer to other duties, citing staffing issues that plague most law enforcement agencies today, the sheriff’s office explains. In addition, the duties of the MANS Unit have expanded over the last decade, no longer focusing only on illegal drug activity in the county, but other crimes as well.
“Ultimately, the name ‘MANS Unit’ does not accurately represent the unit any longer,” says Hall County Sheriff Gerald Couch. “It is not a true multi-agency unit, nor does it solely focus on narcotics. With that in mind, the new name going forward will be SIU, which stands for Special Investigations Unit.”
The SIU (pronounced ‘S-I-U’) will handle criminal intelligence gathering, computer/data analysis, property crimes, illegal drugs, gang crimes and other criminal cases requiring specialized investigative techniques.
“As technology, criminal activity and resources change, law enforcement must adapt,” Couch says. “Our SIU allows us to streamline the investigative process, making for better communication and greater safety for team members.”
Couch adds the SIU will continue to support the investigative effort of other agencies when needed.
“Every law enforcement agency in and around Hall County are good partners who are ready and willing to assist each other. We remain committed to the community we serve and our fellow law enforcement partners, as well,” Couch says. “Hopefully, in the future, once staffing issues subside, our SIU will be ready to welcome back some of our longtime partners.”
The SIU will operate out of the Hall County Sheriff’s Office Headquarters on Browns Bridge Road in Gainesville.
