EPD ramps up narcotics investigations, arrests

The El Dorado Police Department’s Criminal Apprehension has ramped up efforts to get illegal narcotics — and the criminals who push them — off city streets.

Lt. Chris Lutman, public information officer for the EPD, said that when Chief Kenny Hickman was appointed earlier this year as the new leader of the police department, he made some changes with the hopes of putting a noticeable dent in the drug trade in El Dorado.

“He moved some things around and we’ve got a new captain in narcotics and he wants to get the bad guys off the street and he’s out there working with his team,” Lutman said.

The CAD — which focuses on narcotics, vice and other such criminal activities — is using a mix of tools that are at its disposal to take a proactive approach to the crimes they investigate, Lutman said.

“They’re using resources to make narcotics buys and pursuing arrest warrants and they’re more proactive in watching drug houses and the use of informants,” he explained.

Patrol and CAD officers who conduct traffic stops often recover narcotics that lead to felony arrests for other offenses.

Lutman said some defendants are probationers or parolees who have a search waiver on file with the Arkansas Department of Community Correction.

Per state law, warrantless searches are permitted as a part of conditions for supervised probation or parole.

A parolee or probationer is subject to a warrantless search of his or her person, residence or motor vehicle at any time, day or night, whenever requested by a certified law enforcement officer or any officer with the ADCC, according to Arkansas Code 16-93-106.

A person who is placed on supervised parole or probation is required to sign a search waiver that allows for a warrantless search.

Refusal to acknowledge or sign the waiver renders a person ineligible for supervised parole or probation.

The law further states that a warrantless search that is based on the search waiver “shall be conducted in a reasonable manner but does not need to be based on an articulable suspicion that the person is committing or has committed a criminal offense.”

Lutman said the CAD has been working closely with local ADCC officers on its criminal investigations.

The partnership resulted in the arrest of a man who is being held in the Union County Jail in lieu of a $150,000 bond on numerous drug charges stemming from a search of his vehicle and residences.

Marcus D. Howard, 41, of the 300 block of West First, was taken into custody July 1 for possession of methamphetamine with intent to deliver, possession of marijuana with intent to deliver, possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver, possession of drug paraphernalia, possession of a firearm by certain persons, simultaneous possession of drugs and firearms, theft by receiving and parole violation.

The process began with a traffic stop in the area of Jackson and Cook after CAD investigators said Howard did not completely stop at a stop sign at the intersection.

They also said Howard threw from the driver’s window what appeared to be cellophane paper wrapping from a cigarette package, which led to a citation for littering, in addition to a traffic citation for disregarding the stop sign.

CAD officers said a strong odor of marijuana wafted from Howard’s vehicle and during a search of the vehicle, they found 18 bags containing marijuana and two bags containing methamphetamine, all totaling 31.7 grams.

Investigators said they had seen Howard leave the West First Street residence prior to the traffic stop.

After confirming that Howard was on parole and the West First Street residence was the address listed in ADCC records for his supervised parole, CAD officers went to the residence and recovered three handguns, a large amount of marijuana, methamphetamine and several digital scales, which are commonly used in the illegal distribution of narcotics.

Investigators noted they found multiple items, including several that bore Howard’s name, indicating that Howard lived at the West First Street residence.

“In a lot of traffic stops, officers come in contact with parolees and that can lead to home visits and they can’t deny officers entry with a search waiver on file,” Lutman said.

CAD officers have made several such arrests within the past few months.

CAD investigations have also intensified due to a deal that was recently reached between the city of El Dorado and Union County regarding the fee for housing city inmates in the Union County Jail, Lutman said.

In June, the city and county signed an interlocal agreement for a one-time payment of $600,000 from the city to assist with recent jail improvements and upgrades.

Starting this year, the city will also pay a flat, annual rate of $175,000 for three years to cover the cost of housing city inmates in the county jail.

The deal came after exhaustive discussions between city and county officials.

“Those negotiations kind of left things in limbo for us. Now that it’s been resolved, they said, ‘Let’s get after it and start serving these CAD warrants,’” Lutman said, adding that CAD arrest warrants and investigations are mostly drug-related.

He said EPD officers also have more leeway to use discretion when writing criminal citations for defendants to appear in 35th Judicial District Court on misdemeanor and non-violent offenses, such as shoplifting.

“Citations had been issued because the jail was full, as well. What you’re going to see down the road — when you look at the jail roster, you’re probably going to see more felony charges than misdemeanor charges,” Lutman said.

“So, it’s good that we’ve been able to put the gas to the floor on this. We want crime to decrease in this city and we want the public to feel safe,” he continued.