NATCHEZ —Sheriff Travis Patten says a person considering driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol better think twice about it in Adams County.

In October the Adams County Sheriff’s Office will add a patrol deputy specifically to catch people who are driving under the influence. The ACSO will also soon be adding a patrol deputy to three of the four shifts, all mostly funded through grants.

“Just the knowledge that a county has a DUI officer will make people thinking about doing wrong go to another county to drink,” Patten said. “If you choose not to drink responsibly, we will have someone actively seeking you out.

“Adams County was in the top 13 in the state for DUI fatalities, and that is obviously not a number we are proud of.”

The sheriff’s office will also be adding three deputies to the same number of shifts, bringing the total up to five deputies patrolling at any given time. The three deputies will be specifically trained to work with individuals with mental health issues.

“We are No. 1 in committals, and we are No. 2 in the transport of the mentally ill,” Patten said. “These officers will be trained to go out and assess people and what needs to be done before they can become explosive.

“We will be a lot better off adding these three officers.”

Funds for the DUI officer will be coming through a grant from the Mississippi Department of Safety, while the funds for the other three deputies will be coming from a grant through the Mississippi Department of Health.

The grants total approximately $317,000, while the county match is $40,000. Patten said the grants are renewable every year.

ACSO spokeswoman Sgt. Cal Green said the sheriff’s office has been running four 12-hour shifts of four deputies. Adding a fifth officer to three of those shifts will be beneficial to the county, she said.

“If you have two on a domestic disturbance in Sibley and another disturbance on Airport Road, that’s all four officers tied up,” Green said. “You are praying another disturbance won’t happen until an officer can break away.

“In terms of officer safety, it is going to be wonderful, and it will also help in terms of officers being there to help citizens in need.”