R-C News-Herald Editorial

Patience is often difficult.

When drug dealers are roaming seemingly free through the community you live in, waiting for their arrest and incarceration is painstaking.

No matter how many times an officer says it takes time, sometimes it’s easy to wonder if anything will be done.

Some residents in Bertie County finally saw their day come Friday morning.

The Bertie County Sheriff’s Office, Aulander Police Department and Windsor Police Department worked together to bring in more than a dozen suspects who were caught by undercover agents working in the county.

In a county as small population-wise as Bertie County, it certainly will have an affect on the sale of drugs in the county.

Detective Sergeant Frank Timberlake and Detective Kenny Gilliam in the Narcotics Division of the Bertie County Sheriff’s Office headed up this yearlong effort and should be commended. Because of the nature of work in a narcotics division, it is often hard to see evidence of their work. Last week showed the work they do and how successful the pair has become.

Also on the list of those who should be taking a bow are Bertie County Sheriff Greg Atkins, Aulander Police Chief Jimmy Barmer and Windsor Police Chief Rodney Hoggard. Without the cooperation between those three departments, the operation would not have been successful.

There are many counties where any operation that would require total commitment from all heads of law enforcement would not happen. In Bertie County, not only did they work together, but they did so well.

In addition to the work of those people, it shouldn’t be overlooked that both K-9 deputies – DaKota and Buddy – and their handlers Sgt. Charlie Harmon and Frank Massey did an excellent job Friday morning.

In their first live action, both dogs hit drugs and proved the search warrant Sheriff Atkins wanted drawn worthy. They did their job because they have been trained well by Harmon and Massey.

The Bertie County Sheriff’s Office, Windsor Police Department and Aulander Police Department served their communities well again Friday. It was an excellent job by all of them.