Nearly 60 law enforcement officers and support staff from state, local and federal agencies joined forces this week for Operation Arrow – Craven County, an enforcement operation that served outstanding criminal warrants and conducted compliance checks on high risk and violent offenders on probation and parole. Officers conducted the operation March 16-17 and arrested 65 individuals and served 133 warrants and 21 criminal citations. Sixteen absconders from probation or parole were located and arrested. Six people were charged with probation or parole violations as a result of 54 searches that probation officers conducted at residences.
Significant arrests included a paroled sex offender who was found in possession of pornography, a probationer in possession of an assault rifle and drugs and a probationer with enough heroin to result in a felony drug trafficking charge. Information gathered in the operation led to the location of a probation absconder in Greenville, South Carolina who was arrested by local police there. More than 10 individuals who were not present when officers visited their homes turned themselves in after learning from family or friends that they were wanted.
Participating agencies included the North Carolina Department of Public Safety, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Craven County Sheriff’s Department, New Bern Police Department, Havelock Police Department, Trent Woods Police Department and the Bridgeton Police Department. The operation was supported by analysts from the FBI and analysts from NC ISAAC, the North Carolina Information Sharing and Analysis Center and by canines and handlers from the NC Department of Public Safety and the New Bern Police Department.
Officers organized into seven multi-agency teams to serve warrants and conduct searches to ensure compliance of high-risk or violent probationers and parolees.
“Partnerships between state, local and federal law enforcement agencies are key to maintaining safe communities everywhere. No one agency can succeed alone,” said Frank L. Perry, Secretary of the NC Department of Public Safety. “We appreciate the work that our partners do on a daily basis and their collaboration in this operation in Craven County.”
“The FBI is committed to working with our law enforcement partners to hold those offenders who attempt to escape our justice system accountable. We will continue to offer our investigative, analytical, and technical support to assist in these type of round-up operations,” said John Strong, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in North Carolina.
“We are pleased to be part of the law-enforcement team participating in Operation Arrow and keeping North Carolinians safe,” said Special Agent in Charge Dirk German of NCSBI/NCISAAC. “The team effort and inter-agency cooperation to accomplish this mission exemplifies what police work is all about,”
"We are pleased to welcome the many agencies coming together and the work they are doing,” said Craven County Sheriff Jerry Monette. “Law enforcement today is a difficult job and cooperation and information sharing is vital to officer safety as well as the safety of our citizens. I'm proud of the work these men and woman have accomplished and our hope is their work has made our community a better place to live and raise our children."
“The streets of the City of New Bern and Craven County are safer as a result of this operation,” said New Bern Police Chief Toussaint Summers Jr. “Working with our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners erases jurisdictional restrictions and boundaries which criminals often try to use to their advantage. Our community only benefits when we share resources.”.
“No one whistles a symphony. It takes an orchestra. Police work is the same,” said Havelock Police Chief David Magnusson. “The Havelock Police Department is honored to be part of this law enforcement ensemble in removing wanted criminals from our streets.”
“We are pleased to be a part of Operation Arrow,” said Chief Tony Lee of the Trent Woods Police Department. “We appreciate and value the collaboration with other law enforcement agencies to control drugs and crime in our communities.”
Operation Arrow will continue in other counties as a long-term, statewide warrant and fugitive operation led by the FBI and the North Carolina Department of Public Safety.