TAG advisory board will meet today to discuss split


Staff report

WARREN

The advisory board of the Trumbull Ashtabula Group Law Enforcement Task Force will meet at 9:30 a.m. today in the county commissioners meeting room to discuss whether the two counties will remain partners in fighting drug abuse.

The meeting follows a news release issued by Ashtabula County Prosecutor Nick Iarocci on April 25 saying that Ashtabula County officials are terminating the contract between the two counties and forming their own drug unit.

The letter suggested the reason is the decision by Trumbull County Sheriff Paul Monroe to fire Jeff Orr, longtime commander of the TAG unit, and replace him with Howland detective Tony Villanueva without consulting Ashtabula County officials.

The agreement that governs TAG requires the advisory board, consisting of officials from Ashtabula and Trumbull counties, to make such decisions, the release said.

Though Monroe said at a news conference in April that Orr would no longer serve as TAG commander after May 1, the news release said Ashtabula County authorities advised Trumbull officials that “Jeff Orr should remain as TAG commander through May 31.”

Monroe said Wednesday that Orr is still commander but that is one of the topics to be discussed today.

“From my end, that will be resolved tomorrow,” Monroe said. Part of the meeting will be in executive session, meaning in private, Monroe said.

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