STOP THE DRUGS

This (copied and pasted below) happened yesterday and today I was up calling family members to see if they were in jail this morning.

 How sad is that?

 

Counties target drugs

By CHARLES OWENS
Bluefield Daily Telegraph

WELCH (MY HOMETOWN)— A two-state operation Friday targeted close to 100 suspects on drug-related charges between McDowell and Buchanan counties, officials said.

In McDowell County, officials had arrested 42 of 47 individuals as of late Friday evening on delivery, conspiracy and fugitive from justice charges, Sheriff Danny Mitchell said. In Buchanan County,(WHERE I WAS BORN) officials had arrested 31 of 52 individuals indicted on drug-related charges as of late Friday, Sheriff Ray Foster said.

Authorities in both counties were still searching for individuals late Friday.

“If you live in McDowell County, (YEP, THAT'S WHERE I LIVE) and you are selling drugs, you’ve got three choices — quit, move, or go to jail,” Mitchell said. “It’s that simple. I’m not going to give up.”

The drug roundup in McDowell County was completed in cooperation with the McDowell County Sheriff’s Department, the West Virginia State Police Welch Detachment, and the Southern Regional Drug and Violent Crimes Task Force. Mitchell said the majority of the arrests were in the Bradshaw and Panther communities. The sheriff’s department set up a staging area at the Bradshaw Town Hall, and the Panther Volunteer Fire Department, where individuals were processed after being arrested.

Mitchell said officials used two buses provided by the Stevens Correctional Center to transport the individuals arrested back to Welch.

In Virginia, the Buchanan County 29th Circuit Regional Drug Task Force served more than 150 drug-related indictments on 52 different individuals with assistance from the Virginia State Police, the Grundy Police Department, and authorities across the state line in McDowell County.

“The more we work together, the more we can accomplish in the war on drugs,” Foster said. “We are all in this together. We all have family to protect, children or grandchildren that attend our schools, travel our roads and play in our neighborhoods. We can all make a difference if we work toward the same goal — stop the drugs.”

Drugs, firearms and cash were recovered as part of the Virginia-side operation, Sgt. Michael Conroy, of the Virginia State Police, said.

“The majority of the arrests were within Buchanan County,” Conroy said. “We did have some that spilled into West Virginia.”

Conroy said the majority of the Virginia-side charges involved the distribution of prescription narcotics.

The arrests started at 7 a.m. in McDowell County.

“Just about all of them were arrested at their residences,” Mitchell said. “Everything went really smooth. There were hardly any problems at all. I was amazed at how smoothly it went.”

Mitchell said the war on drugs continues in McDowell County with assistance from the governor’s office and the Appalachian High Intensity Drug Trafficking agency.

“This is a partial result of a year-long investigation conducted by the Southern Regional Drug and Violent Crimes Task Force and the McDowell County Sheriff’s Department,” Mitchell said. “In those two areas, it is going to make a big dent. Drug investigations and more arrests are pending.”

Mitchell said the citizens of McDowell County are asked to help fight the war against drugs.

“We must continue to urge our citizens to get involved,” Mitchell said. “Make the anonymous phone calls, send in those anonymous drug dealer ads, or just continue to write letters to the state police and task force. They (concerned citizens) have played a big part in this and we greatly appreciate it.”

Foster said the drug roundup in Virginia included all areas of Buchanan County.

Conroy said members of the Buchanan County 29th Circuit Regional Drug Task Force welcome any citizen tips received on suspected drug activity.

“By having community support we are more effective in identifying and arresting drug dealers,” Conroy said. “We encourage people who witness suspected drug activity to report those incidents to the state police by calling 1-800-553-3673, or by calling our local partners. Every tip counts.”

Conroy said the task force opened more than 140 cases and made more than 134 felony arrests between July 2005 and August 2006.

In McDowell County, Mitchell said the town of Bradshaw and the Panther Volunteer Fire Department also provided critical assistance Friday by allowing authorities to utilize their facilities as staging areas.

Mitchell said individuals were still being arraigned late Friday in magistrate court on the drug-related charges.

McDowell County Commission President Gordon Lambert said Friday’s drug roundup will help, adding the county’s war on drugs is one of the key issues officials hope to discuss with lawmakers in Charleston on Jan. 17 as part of the second annual McDowell County Day at the Legislature program.

Tags: WELCH, MCDOWELL COUNTY, BRADSHAW, PANTHER