TEXARKANA -- A joint narcotics investigation by the Miller County sheriff's office and prosecuting attorney's office has resulted in dozens of arrests and the seizure of illegal drugs.
Miller County Sheriff Ron Stovall said getting drugs off the streets of Miller County has long been a priority for him, and the recent crackdown on drug activity through an extensive, three-month undercover operation reflects that.
The Miller County sheriff's office arrested numerous suspected drug dealers and seized varying amounts of methamphetamine, crack cocaine, marijuana and commonly abused prescription drugs such as hydrocodone and Xanax during the operation, Stovall said.
While undercover work and traditional policing played a role in the operation, Stovall said his office's use of statistical crime analysis techniques contributed to its success. Yates Morgan has been working for the Miller County sheriff's office performing analyses using crime data collected by deputies in the field and emergency dispatchers, for example.
"This is new thinking, new theory, new technology," Morgan said. "This is a powerful tool. It allows us to deploy our resources where they're most needed."
Morgan pulls up maps of "crime points" in Miller County on a computer screen and points to an area with a cluster of thefts. Such clusters can indicate a surge in drug activity.
"Higher rates of offenses like theft are often associated with the sale of narcotics," Stovall said.
Morgan's crime analytics not only give the office an idea of where problems may be developing in a community, but also can help in locating a known suspect or wanted person.
Morgan initially began working for the Miller County sheriff's office in classification administration.
When Stovall took office in 2009, he pledged to improve the Miller County jail, which had contraband in the attic and reported three jail escapes from a total of 11 inmates in 2008.
Among the many changes and improvements Stovall implemented in Miller County's jail is a risk-classification system for inmates. Morgan developed an assessment tool used to evaluate detainees when they are booked into jail. Making housing and security decisions for inmates based on their risk levels makes the jail a safer and more secure environment for detention deputies, detainees, visitors and the community, Stovall said.
Morgan has since handed off inmate classification to a co-worker and now focuses on crime analysis.
"This is fascinating stuff. We use this information in many different ways," Morgan said. "This is intelligent policing."
State Desk on 02/01/2016