As most people know, drugs are the number one problem facing our country today. Drug Interdiction is the practice of intercepting narcotics, in bulk amounts, before they reach their destination. This means intercepting narcotics as they are being transported via, car, truck, airplane, boat or package delivery.
1997 marked the beginning of Sheriff Donald H. Blankenship's third term as the elected Sheriff of Phelps County, Missouri. Sheriff Blankenship has not only made tremendous contributions to Phelps County and the Phelps County Sheriff Department, but also to the State of Missouri and law enforcement in general. Ranking at the head of these contributions has been Sheriff Blankenship's efforts in the interdiction of narcotics passing through Missouri.
Midway through his second term in office, Sheriff Blankenship instituted a unique drug interdiction program, which is now emulated by numerous departments nationwide. Sheriff Blankenship has expanded his efforts and trained dozens of officers from across the country in drug interdiction techniques, search tactics, and dog handling skills. As a result of his success, he has become a nationally recognized expert in drug interdiction.
Utilizing only off-duty and reserve officers, working on a voluntary only basis, and operating an average of 12 hours per week, Sheriff Blankenship's interdiction program has been tremendously successgul at little cost to the taxpayers of Missouri. In 1997 alone, over $50,000,000 in illegal drugs have been seized. In 1997, 37 trafficking quantity loads were interdicted, 50 felony possession arrests were made, along with roughly 400 misdemeanor possession cases. This program also resulted in over 100 arrests for cases other than narcotics in 1997. These cases included the recovery of a number of stolen vehicles, warrant arrests for other jurisdictions, including 2 arrests for nationally sought fugitives. One fugitive was wanted by numerous states for kidnapping and fraud, while the other was wanted for murder and a Federal weapons violation.
In 1997 the program has resutled in the seizure of nearly 13,000 pounds of marijuana, 1000 pounds of cocaine, and a number of other types of drugs. In additon, Sheriff Blankenship and members of his team, have been called on for assistance by a number of other agencies, resulting in his participation in over 100 intedictions of trafficking quantity loads of narcotics.
The Phelps County program has been so successful that it no longer is strictly an operation of the Phelps County Sheriff Department. Now called the Combined Highway Interdiction Program, it is a joint operation combining the efforts of the Phelps County Sheriff's Department and officers of the Missouri State Highway Patrol.
The Phelps County program has been successfully tested by the Courts, and in 1996 was approved by the Missouri Supreme Court. Partly as a result of Sheriff Blankenship's efforts, Missouri ranks in the top three states nationwide in drug interdiction efficiency.
Sheriff Blankenship's success rate speaks for itself, and his professionalism has been recognized by the Supreme Court upholding his interdiction program. His efforts in working with, and training, officers from other agencies have ushered in a new era of co-operation among law enforcement agencies. Sheriff Blankenship has been a true leader in the war on drugs.
