The Beauregard Parish Sheriff’s Office set up a Narcotics Checkpoint Thursday night near Starks, Louisiana. Due to several complaints coming from the Fields area, the BPSO put together a joint operation with the help of Sheriff Ricky Moses and the DeRidder city police department. The operations utilized several BPSO deputies as well as the new Drug Interdiction team led by Detectives Dale Sharp and Greg Hill. Seven police units total were used for the operation in addition to 4 other units performing regular patrols.

Sharp helped plan the operation and stated that it took approximately a week to pull everything together.

“You have to work out personnel and equipment issues early on,” Sharp explained. “It’s definitely a process.”

The Narcotics Checkpoint’s main objective was to get the narcotics off of the street. “Anything off of the streets is not in the hands of kids or anyone else,” stated Sharp.
The checkpoint proved successful early on as even before dark, the team found marijuana in a vehicle being searched.

The team also quickly realized how badly the area residents wanted them there.

 Kimberly Mcintosh lives near the area where the checkpoint was set up, and she felt compelled to stop by the officers and offer her thanks. “I am so thankful that you are out here,” she said with an enthusiastic thumbs up. Another resident who actually lived on the land where detectives and deputies were parked offered her help in whatever way she could.

“It’s nice to know that the community supports this,” Sharp stated. “We want the public to feel safe.”

Sharp himself has served 16 years on the force and has had extensive training that includes criminal interdiction training as well as narcotic K-9 handling. Sharp works with his K-9 partner, Kilo, who is trained to detect narcotics.

Narcotic checkpoints are relatively new in task forces, and Sharp and his team are making an impact in the state with theirs. They have been contacted by other agencies within the state, and Moses will be sending the team as needed to demonstrate how to set up the signs and work the checkpoints.

Shortly after dark, it was apparent that the team’s presence was making an impact. Detectives Julian Williams, Craig Richard, and Sharp recovered an estimated quarter pound of marijuana tossed out of a vehicle window and onto the highway. If sold, the drugs would have earned a possible $300. “They saw us and panicked,” explains Sharp.

Sharp also stated that more checkpoints could be orchestrated in the future at different locations. “Definitely,” says Sharp. “As more complaints come in, we will be doing more.”

The checkpoint produced 3 arrests for possession of marijuana and hydrocodone, 2 misdemeanor summons for possession of marijuana, and 30 traffic citations. Officers also recovered a small amount of hydrocodone pills and approximately a half pound of marijuana total.

The arrests were of 20 year-old Lewis A. Stains, 19 year-old David Paul Aaron, and 36 year-old Benji Joe Statum. All three are from the Starks area and were traveling together.