Priceville police ‘fired up’ about numerous drug arrests on I-65

For the Enquirer

PRICEVILLE – The Priceville Police Department has made several recent drug arrests while patrolling Interstate 65, which they view as a major drug trafficking corridor, and the chief expects more such arrests when a new drug dog is in service.

Chief Jerry Holmes said officers spend some of their spare time running drug interdiction activities along I-65.

“Interstate 65 stretches from as far south as the beach all the way to Chicago, Illinois,” Holmes said. “So, there is a lot of transportation of illegal drugs, stolen goods, guns and illegal contraband being transported on 65 and there always has been.” There is not a dedicated interdiction team working the interstate at Priceville, so efforts have largely fallen to Priceville police, Holmes said. “There has just never been a team in this area that’s focused on interdiction work along the interstate in this area,” the chief said. “I believe you have interdiction units down around Birmingham and there may be one up around Nashville, but there is nothing in between. We have just recently started putting some efforts out there toward that stuff. We’ve come up pretty good. We’re trying to be on top of it.” During a recent four-day span, Priceville police Officer Patrick Wiley made three drug arrests while patrolling I-65. The first and last stops occurred at the 330 mile marker and the second occurred at the 334 mile marker, police said.

On Aug. 2, Wiley stopped a vehicle for minor traffic violations around midnight on I-65 southbound and “observed several factors that led him to believe both occupants were involved in criminal activity,” according to Wiley’s affidavit.

Inside the vehicle he found fentanyl, marijuana, THC oil, pills and various drug paraphernalia, police said.

Police arrested Grace Anne Garretson, 37, of Brentwood Tenn., and Christina Marie Perlowski, 38, of Lewisport, Ky. Both were charged with possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance, possession of a controlled substance, first-degree possession of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia, according to police. Both were taken to the Morgan County Jail and have since been released after posting bonds of $8,800 each, according to court records.

On Aug. 3, Wiley stopped driver Dishawn Decarlo Gandy, 43, about 5 p.m. on a traffic violation on I-65 northbound and “observed several factors which led him to believe that both occupants were involved in the illicit transportation, sale and distribution of bulk narcotics,” according to Wiley’s affidavit. Gandy and his passenger, Rodney Hawkins Jr., 36, are both from Buffalo, New York. The officer found 82 grams of marijuana, 120 grams of THC concentrate oil/live resin, various drug paraphernalia and a large sum of money, according to the affidavit. Both Gandy and Hawkins were charged with first-degree possession of marijuana, possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia, according to police. Bonds were set at $3,800 each. Hawkins was released Aug. 6 and Gandy remained in jail Aug. 7, according to jail records.

On Aug. 5, Wiley arrested a Michigan woman on charges of trafficking fentanyl and cannabis and possession of drug paraphernalia, according to police. Wiley stopped driver Jennifer Marie-Joyce Taylor, 47, at about 1:45 a.m. on I-65 southbound on minor traffic violations. He once again “observed several factors that led him to believe the driver was involved in criminal activity,” according to police. According to his affidavit, during his search of the vehicle he found 8 pounds of marijuana and 1.6 ounces of fentanyl. Taylor remained in the Morgan County Jail Aug. 7 in lieu of a $560,300 bond.

Drug dog Holmes believes the addition of a new K9 drug and search dog to the department will increase the drug arrests along the interstate and elsewhere in Priceville.

“Getting the new drug dog will help us tremendously,” he said.

Kilo, a fully trained Belgian Malinois, arrived in Priceville on July 26 but is now going to school with his handler, Officer Lucas Ferrell, so the two can become certified as a team, Holmes said.

“We’re excited about getting that K9 officer and the canine through the K9 Academy and getting them out on the street,” the chief said. “It’s going to be another tool that we can use.” Holmes said his department’s enforcement actions on I-65 help Priceville and other communities. “Unfortunately for this city, the 65 interstate runs right through our city, so these problems can spill off of these exit ramps and into our neighborhoods and businesses. And we don’t want that.

“But what makes me feel good is that our guys make a stop and intercept those drugs from getting into any community, not just our own. We may not have saved this community from experiencing that but they were headed to some community somewhere. And so we intercepted those drugs before they got there.” Legal searches He said the traffic stops they make are legitimate and not a violation of anyone’s rights.

“We hold the Constitution in its highest regard,” he said. “We’re not violating people’s rights or the Fourth Amendment (protection against illegal search and seizure) and we are not violating state law. It’s perfectly legal to work the interstate. Lots of people have questions about whether a municipality can work the interstate and, well, they absolutely can. It’s the law that they can.” Holmes said that while officers cannot sit out on the interstate and write speeding tickets based on radar monitoring, they can write any other tickets.

“That is the state law,” the chief said.

Although he said cleaning up drug traffic on the interstate is not his department’s primary focus, it is something they plan to keep doing.

“Our primary focus is the safety and well-being of our citizens here in the Priceville community, but when we have the time, we’re going to spend some of that on the interstate,” Holmes said.

“We have to have a balance there of protecting the city and our city limits and jurisdiction and our neighborhoods and stuff like that. We’re going to do that but at the same time when we have time to kill or a lot of extra time to focus in another direction we’re going to spend some time on the interstate.” He said he wants drug dealers to be nervous in Priceville.

“It’s time to catch these smugglers because they are out there,” he said. “I want them to be worried about coming through here.” Knowing that their interdiction efforts have been effective encourages Holmes to continue them.

“That makes me even more fired up about working the interstate – doing a good job out there. I believe my guys are doing that. We’re not going to get them all, but we are going to get as many as we can.”