"Effective immediately, no more traffic stops..."

"Effective immediately, no more traffic stops until further notice unless the driver is intoxicated, reckless driver, or driving at a high rate of speed." This was a July 23rd internal memo from Sheriff Adell Dobey of the Edgefield County Sheriff's Office to his road deputies. This memo was leaked to, and reported on, by WRDW, Channel 12 news in Augusta. According to the news report the Deputy who leaked the memo stated this policy was hindering his ability to do his job. When contacted by News 12 Sheriff Dobey appeared to somewhat walk back his memo by saying the Deputies have discretion as to whether to pull someone over for minor traffic offenses and the memo was taken out of context. There does not seem to be a whole lot of ways to take this. It's pretty clear and concise. Appears to be only one way to read it. NO TRAFFIC STOPS

What initially surprised me after reading the article and seeing the newscast was the overwhelming positive response to the policy by citizens. The general public's only negative contact with Law Enforcement is when they're stopped for a violation. They have no clue how valuable those seemingly "wasted time" stops are. By the way, a normal traffic stop takes approximately 4 minutes.

My real shock came when I read an editorial on EdgefieldDaily.com not only agreeing with the Sheriff on this policy but totally demeaning News12 for airing it. They then attempted to narrow down the possible "leaker" in the Department. I enjoy reading the Edgefield Daily and probably agree 99% of the time with what is written. The Editor is pro-law enforcement as can be read into his writing. I know everyone has their own opinion, but, I believe he really missed the boat on this one. Let's take a look at some of the editor's own more recent headlines:

July 28, 2014 "Two Traffic Stops Result In Five Drug Arrests"
July 19, 2014 "Traffic Stop Leads To Drug Bust"
July 8, 2014   "Ambulance Driver Arrested On Outstanding Warrant" (After being stopped for a traffic violation)
July 1, 2014   ""Habitual Offender" Facing Multiple Charges" (After being stopped for speeding)

These are only headlines from July. If you keep going back you'll find many, many more articles where a simple traffic stop leads to major arrests. One of the statements in the editorial reads, "His concern is focused on reducing property crimes, burglaries, thefts, and drug problems more than worrying about if your tag light is out." How many crimes have been solved or even averted because of a stop for a tail light being out. When the deputy can't see the tag does he know if the tag light is burned out? Or is it removed? Any good officer will look at the circumstances, time, location and a lot of other factors and make a stop based on that. The officer doesn't know if that light is burned out or has been removed to keep the tag from being read during a home invasion, armed robbery, or drug deal.

Let's take a look at a few cases over the years.

I know a lot of people are too young to remember David Richard Berkowitz or the "Son of Sam" as he, and the media, billed him during his murderous crime spree in New York in the mid seventies. He is serving six consecutive life sentences. It is known he killed six people and wounded seven others. How was he caught? A simple traffic violation, in fact, the simplest of violations, a parking ticket.

How about Ted Bundy? Remember him? He confessed to 30 murders but the total is believed to be much higher. He decapitated at least 12 of his victims and kept their heads in his apartment for a time as trophies. Even his own lawyer, Polly Nelson, described him as, "...the very definition of heartless evil." He was caught by a Utah State Trooper who pulled him over on a simple traffic violation. He was alert and noticed several inconsistencies in Bundy's vehicle contents and explanations. During his trial for murder he escaped and was caught in a stolen vehicle after, again, committing a simple traffic violation.

Timothy McVeigh is a name that should still be fairly fresh in the minds of every American. April 19th, 1995 a massive bomb exploded in front of the Alfred P Murrah Federal Building in downtown Oklahoma City killing 168 people and injuring more than 680 more. The blast damaged or destroyed 324 buildings within a 16 block radius and burned or destroyed 86 vehicles. An alert Oklahoma State Trooper by the name of Charlie Hanger stopped a vehicle on a simple traffic violation, no license plate, and arrested McVeigh who was in possession of an unlawful pistol. Further investigation proved that McVeigh had orchestrated the bombing. Oh yeah this happened within only 90 minutes of the bombing.

I, personally, have made arrests for narcotics trafficking, burglaries, armed robberies and even murders off simple traffic stop investigations. Two particular ones come to mind immediately.

When you're newly assigned as a detective or investigator with a department you don't have a lot to do until you start answering calls and building your own cases. So to pass the time you start looking into cold cases and current cases that haven't gone anywhere and need a fresh set of eyes. I was given one such case as a new Detective with the Greenwood Police Department. It was not what most people would consider a major crime spree. There were no dead bodies or shoot outs, just dozens of coin operated machines being broken into over several months. There were thousands of dollars in stolen money, products, and damages done and no suspects. I was speaking with another detective about the case and told him that if I could just find a set of bolt cutters that matched the marks on the cut locks I would have my man. He told me that a traffic unit had stopped a car for a traffic violation and saw what he believed to be bolt cutters in the vehicle. A reasonable explanation was given and he didn't pursue it. I contacted the owner of the car and was given a consent to search. I found the bolt cutters under the driver's seat and marks on them appeared to match the marks on the cut locks. On questioning he stated that the night the car was stopped he had loaned it out and gave me the names of several people who would have been in the car. I knew one name and picked him up. On questioning he gave several other people up. At the conclusion 6 people were arrested, including the car owner, on nearly 75 charges. All because of a simple traffic stop.

One night in Aiken County while working narcotics I noticed a vehicle illegally parked. The first thought I had was that they were using drugs in that particular area. I turned around as they pulled off. They became nervous and turned without giving a signal. Probable cause for a stop. The driver was a woman who stated they had stopped there because her male companion had walked into a field to urinate. While attempting to interview him, he could not remember the same SSN or birth date he had given me. I called in the stop and asked dispatch to check several variations of the social security and birth date along with the name. After awhile I was contacted by the Chief Investigator and asked for a description of the man. Once I gave it I was told to use caution and bring him in. After confronting him with his real name, SSN and birth date he "fessed up." He had outstanding warrants for two murders in California. Again, a simple traffic stop.

Over the years I made hundreds of narcotics cases, closed investigations, recovered stolen property and arrested wanted persons and all because of simple traffic violations. Thousands of these cases are made from traffic cases throughout the country daily.

I know this article is tilted toward the help traffic stops are for investigations into crimes but it wasn't too long ago the EdgefieldDaily was reporting on the great job all agencies, including the Sheriff's Office, were doing in having a zero fatality rate in the county. Part of the reason for this is the knowledge that if people disobey the traffic laws there will be consequences. Let's keep the outstanding record Edgefield has in traffic enforcement and keep our roads and neighborhoods safe. Don't let people think there will be no ramifications for disobeying the laws or they will take advantage.

Sheriff Dobey and I have disagreed on things before and this is no different. I do not, and have not, worked for him. It is his department and I respect him and his position. Please let's not go backwards at this point.