A multi-agency effort resulted in a total of 163 charges being filed during a May 4-5 operation entitled Hertford County Checkpoint 2012.
Hertford County Sheriff Juan Vaughan said the operation consisted of numerous traffic checkpoint stations set-up in different areas of the county.
“We also worked some areas of the county, as well as within the town limits of Ahoskie and Murfreesboro, that have been problematic in the past,” Vaughan said.
Joining with the Sheriff’s Office in the joint venture were the Ahoskie Police Department, Murfreesboro Police Department, North Carolina Highway Patrol and North Carolina ALE.
The charges included:
17 citations for possession of alcohol by an underage individual;
One purchase restriction (filed against Zakk’s Coffee House in Murfreesboro);
26 citations for having open containers of alcohol within a vehicle;
Eight citations for driving while license were revoked;
16 arrests for driving while impaired;
Nine citations for operating a motor vehicle with an expired registration;
Two citations for displaying a fictitious license plate;
Four drivers were charged for operating a motor vehicle without insurance;
15 received citations for having no operator’s license;
Seven were cited for seat belt violations;
Six were ticketed for speeding;
Three drivers were charged with running a stop sign;
Four citations were issued for vehicle inspection violations;
One person was arrested on felonious possession of prescription drugs;
One was arrested for cocaine possession; one for possession of cocaine with intent to sell;
Nine were charged with possession of drug paraphernalia;
11 arrests were made for possession of marijuana;
Three were cited for carrying a concealed weapon without a permit;
One arrest was made for being drunk and disruptive;
Two were charged with possession of stolen property;
Two were arrested for resist, delay and obstruct;
Two shoplifters were arrested; and
10 were cited for various traffic infractions.
“We thank all the agencies involved in this operation,” Vaughan said. “It was a great collaboration as we joined together in an effort to make our communities a safer place to live and travel.”
Vaughan also thanked the Murfreesboro Fire Department for staging one of their vehicles at a checkpoint station there, providing lighting for the law enforcement officers.
“It’s a pleasure to be in an area where the various law enforcement agencies work so well together,” said Murfreesboro Police Chief Darrell Rowe. “That fact was expressed to us by ALE, they said their officers sometimes work in areas where the type of cooperation I mentioned between our agencies just doesn’t exist.
“I thought it was an extremely successful two-day operation for all the communities of Hertford County,” Rowe added. “Judging by the number of arrests and citations, I feel this operation made a significant impact. I was also pleased with the professionalism displayed by all the officers involved and look forward to the time we can once again combine our efforts to protect the law abiding citizens of our town and our county.”
Ahoskie Police Chief Troy Fitzhugh was also proud to have his department involved in the operation.
“The combined effort between all the agencies went well for those two days,” Fitzhugh said. “This stemmed from community complaints and each respective agency going out and working actively together to reduce those complaints. We’ll continue to work together to make this county a safer place.”
Pat Forbis, Special Agent in Charge of the state ALE district office in Elizabeth City, said the results from the Hertford County operation speak for themselves.
“This operation serves as a model for the cooperation that exists between local and state agencies that serve Hertford County,” said Forbis, whose District office covers 17 eastern North Carolina counties. “The way this operation was conducted is indicative of the way all these different agencies joined together and worked well together.
“Speaking on behalf of ALE, we’re extremely proud of the working relationship we have with the local agencies in Hertford County; we’re a proud partner with those agencies,” Forbis noted.
He added that operations such as the one last week in Hertford County are the result of careful planning and that another joint effort is already in the works.