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Sheriff partners with neighboring Law Enforcement Agencies to combat growing drug problem

SPECIAL TO THE DAILY NEWS 

On Friday, March 28, 22nd JDC District Attorney Collin Sims held a press conference with leaders from Law Enforcement Agencies around the region, announcing the expansion of an Opioid Interdiction Initiative that aims to bring Illegal drug use and drug crimes under control in southeast Louisiana.

The effort started last year when Sims began prosecuting drug dealers whose trade directly caused an overdose death with second-degree murder. So far, 12 such cases have been brought against alleged dealers, and Sims said that this is just the beginning.

The stated goal of the initiative is to share the resources of the involved agencies, empowering smaller agencies and rural communities to fight back against rampant drug use and overdoses like never before. By calling on their neighbors for investigative support, the agencies will work together and share information to solve a problem that crosses jurisdictional lines and recognizes no borders.

Washington Parish has long been a haven for drug traffickers, and consistently ranks among the worst counties in the nation for overdose deaths per capita. The 680-square-mile Parish, which is bordered by the state of Mississippi on two sides, presents a logistical challenge for Law Enforcement Agencies that operate on limited budgets and manpower. By partnering with the 22nd JDC and his neighboring parishes, as well as the DEA and State Police, Sheriff Jason Smith says his office will be better equipped to quickly find and prosecute the people who are bringing drugs into the region, many of whom pass through Washington Parish on their way to more populated areas to our south and west.

The initiative is already working, with the most notable case being brought against the drug dealer who sold fentanyl and cocaine to Washington Parish School Board member Frankie Crosby, ultimately causing his death. After a thorough investigation and forensic toxicology report, Dayon Dyson was arrested and charged with second-degree murder following Crosby’s death. On Thursday, March 27, a Washington Parish Grand Jury returned an indictment of Dyson on these charges, and he will now face trial for his crimes.

Sheriff Smith and his deputies will continue to work tirelessly at the ground level in Washington Parish to investigate, gather intelligence and evidence, and make arrests in the drug trafficking organizations that use the Parish’s rural highways as a distribution network for narcotics. Moving forward, their efforts will be part of a larger initiative, supported by neighboring agencies and the state, and capable of bringing vast resources to bear in the battle to end widespread drug use and distribution in the region.

“We are working inside of our jail to target and prevent drug addiction. We have changed the structure of our patrol division and added deputies. We have partnered with the Bogalusa and Franklinton Police Departments to identify and arrest drug traffickers. We are supporting community efforts to help and rehabilitate drug users. Now, we have joined a multi-Parish initiative to find and prosecute drug traffickers faster than ever before. When you put all the pieces of the puzzle together, we are doing everything we can to stop the illegal drug use and trade in Washington Parish, and make it a safer, more peaceful place for everyone who lives here,” Smith said.