Etowah County, Alabama) As of 8:30 p.m., 42 individuals have been arrested on 57 warrants in Etowah County since 5:00 p.m. today, according to Sheriff Todd Entrekin.
The Etowah County Sheriff’s Office, Drug Enforcement Unit (DEU), SBI, FBI, ATF and U.S. Marshals Service are among 14 law enforcement agencies working together to reduce felony and misdemeanor warrants in the county.
Six teams, totaling approximately 70 law enforcement officers, participated in the warrant round-up titled, “Operation Night Hawk”. Interim DEU Commander Randall Johnson said the operation is taking place at night due to drug activity that increases during the afternoon and after dark. These types of operations take place quarterly in Etowah County.
At the start of today’s operation 186 individuals were wanted for 247 warrants. Six more individuals have been taken into custody, as collateral arrests, in addition to the original 186 wanted persons.
Eighty percent of warrants being served are felony narcotic crimes however, some misdemeanor warrants were also being served. Of those warrants, approximately 60% are for distribution and trafficking of various narcotics that include: methamphetamine, synthetics, heroin, cocaine and marijuana.
“The large majority of these individuals are repeat offenders,” said Sheriff Entrekin. “We are doing our best to keep these criminals in jail in an effort to make our communities safer.”
Individuals who are aware of a warrant against them are encouraged to turn themselves in at the Etowah County Sheriff’s Office or Drug Task Force.
Agencies involved in “Operation Night Hawk” include: Etowah County Drug Enforcement Unit, Etowah County Sheriff’s Office, Joint Special Operations Group, United States Marshals Service Gulf Coast Regional Fugitive Task Force, State Bureau of Investigation, Federal Bureau of Investigation Safe Streets Task Force, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, Altoona Police Department, Attalla Police Department, Boaz Police Department, Gadsden Police Department, Glencoe Police Department, Hokes Bluff Police Department, Rainbow City Police Department, Southside Police Department and the Etowah County District Attorney’s Office.