KEEPING DRUGS OFF OUR STREETS

Troop J Officers Are Recognized By DEA For Work In War On Drugs

CLARKSVILLE - Whether they find a small bag of marijuana in the front seat
or several hundred pounds of the drug stashed in the trunk, the Arkansas
State Police Highway Patrol Troopers at the Troop J Headquarters in
Clarksville take each case seriously and do what they can to keep narcotics
off the state's highways and interstates. Last week, four of Troop J's
troopers were recognized by the U.S. Department of Justice Drug Enforcement
Administration in a special ceremony for their work involving the seizure
of illegal drugs in the six-county area (Pope, Johnson, Yell, Conway,
Perry, and Van Buren counties). They are Sgt. Keith Eremea, Cpl. Harry
Smith, Trooper First Class (TFC) Roby Rhoads, and TFC George Summerlin.

Smith said he doesn't initially pull cars over for drug purposes. Instead,
he said, a routine traffic stop can turn into a drug bust. "It's all in
working the highway," said Smith, who holds the state police record for the
largest one-stop drug seizure. He seized nearly 2,700 pounds of marijuana
in a singe traffic stop. "Sometimes traffic enforcement turns into
something bigger. ... You just have to investigate."

Summerlin said although the amounts the DEA reported the troopers had
seized seemed rather large, actual highway stops that lead to drug seizures
are "few and far between."

"The majority of the people we stop don't have drugs. They're just
traveling." he said. "So we may go two or three months without finding any
(drugs), or we could catch two or three in a month. There's no set number."

Summerlin added that the troopers who are known for their drug stops aren't
necessarily highly trained in the specifics of drug stops, but instead rely
on their interviewing abilities.

"We stop cars and talk to people," he said. "And they usually tell on
themselves."

Captain J.R. Hankins, Troop J Commander, said the troop will soon select
two or three of the troopers to attend a drug conference in Orlando, Fla.

"People have different niches in what they do. Some of the guys focus on
drunk drivers - that's what they do," Hankins said.

"These are the guys that basically enjoy concentrating on drug traffic
through here. ... So this (ceremony) was a long-term 'thank you' for what
they have done over the years."

Out of 12 Arkansas State Police Highway Patrol troops in Arkansas, only
half had members recognized at the ceremony. Four of the 19 troopers
recognized were in Clarksville's Troop J. Also recognized were Sgt. Kyle
Drown, who transferred from Troop J to Troop H in Fort Smith; and
Russellville native Trooper Chris Goodman, also stationed at Troop H.
During the preceding 18 months, the DEA said, the 19 troopers had been
credited with seizing 14,428 pounds of marijuana, 2,958 pounds of cocaine,
2 pounds of heroin, 59 pounds of methamphetamine and $2,348,356 in U.S.
currency. "We're getting it off the streets," Smith said. "And that's a lot
of dope that didn't ever get to switch hands." Summerlin added that to be
honored by the DEA was important to him. "For the DEA to recognize us means
we must be doing something right," he said. "They were really impressed
with what we do."