Marshall County Anti-Drug Coalition Hosts Training for Law Enforcement

Moundsville, WV – The Marshall County Anti-Drug Coalition (MCADC) hosted two Highway Drug Interdiction trainings for law enforcement on October 24 -25 and October 26 – 27 at the Moundsville Training Center. The Highway Interdiction Training Specialists (HITS) based out of Texas presented the trainings.

Law enforcement from across 6 counties attended the training sessions, including; 23 law enforcement that attended the “Criminal Patrol/Drug Interdiction” course on October 24 – 25. As well as, 26 law enforcement in attendance for the “Advanced Roadside Interview Techniques For Patrol Officers” course on October 26 – 27. Each two-day course credited law enforcement attendees with 16 CEU hours for their continued education requirements. “First of all, I would like to thank the Marshall County Anti-Drug Coalition for sponsoring this invaluable training for law enforcement officers responsible for the safety of the community,” said Ronnie Stiltner, HITS Training Specialist.

“The training that Highway Interdiction Training Specialists Inc. provided to the officers from Marshall County and the surrounding area will play an instrumental role in how the police continue to impact the drug problem from a patrol perspective. The courses taught to these officers provides them with the training they need in order to detect drug offenses as well as other criminal activity that a person may be trying to conceal when contacted or stopped for a traffic offense,” said Stiltner.

Literally hundreds of thousands of patrol officers throughout the country conduct traffic stops on a daily basis. In fact, traffic enforcement is one of the most important public services performed by uniformed patrol officers. The majority of those motorists that are stopped are productive citizens of the community who have merely committed a traffic infraction. However, the remaining traffic stops involve those who are committing crime. The officer is tasked with conducting positive encounters with motorists as well as challenged with apprehending those who are committing unlawful acts. Many of these unlawful acts are not readily evident and require awareness and interview skills by the officer to uncover or detect the criminal activity; without those skills the officer is apt to unknowingly release those who are committing crime.

“The Marshall County Anti-Drug Coalition recognizes that there are many ways to help prevent substance abuse in our community. We know that working with law enforcement to better recognize those who may be transporting drugs into our community is an important issue,” said Jon Lewis, Drug Free Communities Coordinator.

Throughout the trainings, officers learned effective ways to communicate with people and to watch for deceptive behavior that allows them to assess someone for criminal activity. They also gained an understanding of the pervasive drug problem and proven techniques that allow them to seize drugs and arrest those responsible for making them available. The techniques and understanding that the officers received provides a professional law enforcement approach to the drug problem in the area.

“Officers will be able to go back to their respective agencies and immediately apply the training that will show for itself with positive results,” said Stiltner. “The Marshall County Anti-Drug Coalition is a great example of how law enforcement and the community work together to solve problems. I would like to thank everyone for an excellent training session. The officers were outstanding and greatly participated in answering questions and getting involved in the discussions during class.”

The HITS Specialists were paid for with Federal Drug Free Communities funds.

The MCADC is a non-profit organization working to make Marshall County a safe and drug-free community. For more information on substance abuse prevention or the MCADC, please contact (304) 845-3300 or visit www.marshallcountyfrn.com.