Deputy tapped to join FBI Safe Trails Task Force

Deputy tapped to join FBI Safe Trails Task Force

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Deputy Mark Flake was selected last week to join the Mississippi Safe Trails Task Force, a collaborative effort between the FBI and other law enforcement agencies to combat violent crime and drug trafficking in what the federal government calls Indian Country.

The Safe Trails Task Force has been a cornerstone of the FBI’s partnerships in Indian Country for almost 30 years, working alongside agencies such as the DEA, ATF, and tribal, state, and local law enforcement, officials said.

“It’s a big honor to have the opportunity to work with the FBI, network with them, and have access to all of the resources they have,” Flake said.

Flake said the task force allows them to prosecute crimes that may not have been committed on the Reservation but involve federal offenses connected to the Reservation, like drug-related crimes. Some of Flake’s work may take him out of state and beyond the Choctaw Indian Reservation. 

He has previously worked with the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) Missing Persons Division, conducting interviews and other investigative work.

Flake said he hopes to make a difference by fighting crime locally and contributing to the community’s safety.

Flake began his public service career in the early 1980s by joining a local volunteer fire department before becoming a part-time reserve officer with the Philadelphia Police Department in 1995.

“It’s a good feeling to serve your local community and feel like you made a difference,” he said. “I had the opportunity to serve under seven police chiefs during my time with the Philadelphia Police Department. Each one of them brought something unique to the table.”

In 2021, Flake joined the Neshoba County Sheriff’s Department part-time. Encouraged by Sheriff Eric Clark, he re-entered the state Police Academy at the age of 54 and remains thankful for the Sheriff’s contributions to his career. 

He graduated in June 2022 and was assigned to the department’s full-time Investigations Division. Since last summer, Flake has worked with narcotics investigator Josh Jolly, ultimately leading to his selection for the Safe Trails Task Force.

“My son is also a Deputy Sheriff,” Flake said. “Serving alongside him and seeing him grow in law enforcement and becoming a good officer is the most rewarding part of my job.”

Deputy Flake is married to Erica Flake, a psychiatric nurse practitioner. They have two children: Jonah, who works as a deputy, and Madison, a doctor in her third year of residency at a Children’s Hospital in Baton Rouge, working toward becoming a pediatrician.

Flake said he looks forward to making a difference.

“Drugs are making a big impact on our whole county,” he said. “I’m looking forward to working with this task force to try to knock some of that down and make people’s lives better.”

Joining Deputy Flake on the Mississippi Safe Trails Task Force are Choctaw Police Officer Jakob Waiter and Choctaw Police Captain Robert York.

Flake is no stranger to the Choctaw Police Department, having worked with its officers during his involvement with the BIA Cold Case Unit.

“We’ve developed a good working relationship,” he said. “We are all just one phone call away.”

Flake described Waiter as “a very energetic guy, eager to get to work” and said he looks forward to collaborating with him. Over the past few years, he has worked with York on the county and Tribe’s sex offender registry.






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