Seminary Police Department launches "The Mercy Project"

SEMINARY, Miss. - Illegal drugs and narcotics are a problem almost every town has to deal with.

But, the Seminary Police Department has taken action and implemented a project that can make a difference in the community.

Seminary Police Chief, Michael Kelly said, "If a person truly wants help, the only thing they have to do is come to our police station and say they want help. And if they have their paraphernalia or they have their narcotics on them, they can give it to us. It will be destroyed. There will be no arrests."

Seminary Police launched "The Mercy Project" after they made five felony arrests last week that were directly related to the use or sale of narcotics.

Kelly said "we knew that we had to do something. We had to go beyond just putting someone in jail. We all share the same heart. We all share the same desire. We're here to serve our community in whatever way that we can. So when I presented this to the admin and the other officers, it was really easy for them to buy into it because it's a part of who we are. It's a part of our oath. It's a part of our duty."

Kelly said that people outside Seminary can drop off their drugs to them and will not be arrested.