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Multi-agency operation rounds up 11 suspects

WMPD, Sheriff’s Office, ACC and ATF partner to make arrests in sweep

news@theeveningtimes.com

Thursday morning bookings at the Crittenden County Detention center back logged a while as 11 arrested suspects posed for mug shots and finger printing. That’s because the West Memphis Police and the Crittenden County Sheriff Office partnered with Arkansas Community Corrections and Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms agencies to sweep the county for parole and probation compliance checks that netted 18 more felony charges on ten searches.

Drugs, guns, and stolen property were seized in the dragnet effort.

West Memphis Assistant Police Chief Robert Langston said his department had partnered with federal authorities for years to reduce violent crimes in the city. Those efforts have moved criminals to relocate into other areas of the county. The new task force emerged from an inter- agency meeting February 6. Authorities believed the combined efforts with other local agencies would take more illegal guns off the streets and reduce violent crime across the county.

“In the last few years, WMPD has been aggressive in the fight against violent crime with the help of state and federal agencies,” said Langston. “When this happens, criminals decide to move to the outskirts of where they perceive aggressive enforcement.”

The unified effort Thursday produced arrests in the city and across the county.

“With our new collaboration with the CCSO and the Marion Police Department, we are looking to make it uncomfortable for violent criminals in all Crittenden County,” said Langston.

“The county and the federal agencies have helped us before but after that meeting, you are going to see more of this.”

The new law enforcement partnership and the results of the first-time four-agency sweep aimed at repeated violators last week galvanized inter-agency unity and commitment to future joint efforts.

“This is something we are going to start doing,” said Langston. “We think maybe it’s an avenue for us to get guns and reduce drugs with these probation and parole compliance searches. Sheriff Mike Allen, MPD Chief Gary Kelly, and WMPD Chief E.C. West committed to this partnership and we will continue to use state and federal resources to fight violent crime in Crittenden County.”

The results of the parole and probation compliance sweep tallied these numbers: 11 total arrested, 8 felony arrests with 18 charges, three misdemeanor arrests with 7 separate charges, three warrants served, two guns seized, 10 houses searched.

Those arrested included Christopher Grays, Dequaruis Lewis, Harold Patterson, Chaquita Hamilton, David Shackleford, Mann Smothers, Cornell Hewitt, Ted Hall, Cierra Graham, Jason Haycraft, and Junior Griggs.

“We went in on compliance checks, making sure they were living where they said they were and keeping the kind of stuff out of their house that they aren’t supposed to have,” said Langston.

Curiosity caught the cat as a couple of the accused criminals just happened to walk up to police scenes during the searches. Police identified a pair of suspects in other recent crimes and made arrests.

“We stopped one female outside a house we were searching involved in a robbery the night before,” said Langston. “Another guy walked up on them while they were doing a search and he had a stolen Play Station on him from a burglary earlier in the day.

So, the searches solved a couple other crimes for us pretty quick.”

By John Rech