Operation Flamingo Road, the largest drug roundup in Kentucky’s history, resulted in felony arrest warrants for 518 people. Local, state and federal law enforcement agencies all took part in the three year effort.
“This type of investigation often involves the same violent criminal activity as any other investigation into organized drug trafficking. We can not forget the dedication and tireless effort put forth by KSP detectives, task force officers and troopers, local officers and federal agents,” emphasized KSP Commissioner Rodney Brewer. “Without them, a round up of this magnitude would not have been possible.”
The Kentucky State Police obtained 327 of the arrest warrants issued in 33 counties.
To make it easier, just look at this fancy PDF released by the KSP:
CLICK TO ENLARGE (PDF LINK)
No matter how you cut it, the numbers are absolutely impressive.
11 responses so far ↓
1 johnny masters // Oct 29, 2009 at 6:59 pm
People have a right to do whatever they want to their own bodies. This “war” on drugs are damaging communities. Let people do what they want to do in their own houses. Not to mention, legalization would put the drug dealers out of business. Thanks KSP, for not catching Bill Sparkman’s killer, but getting folks for crimes that shouldn’t be crimes, and seat belt charges. KSP. The enemy of Kentucky People.
2 Conservative // Oct 29, 2009 at 7:04 pm
Is the above a stoned liberal or a stoned libertarian? Inquiring minds want to know.
3 trust me // Oct 30, 2009 at 9:01 am
If sitting stoned in your own house only affected you, then it would truly not be a crime. But if you are stoned, you’re not supporting yourself, so our tax dollars must do so. You aren’t supporting your children, so your family or the state must do so. Your driving is impaired so you are killing the rest of us. Your drugs are destroying your own health and our tax dollars must pay to keep you alive.
Sitting stoned in your house affects us all in very bad ways. That’s why it is a crime.
4 jake // Oct 30, 2009 at 9:12 am
This has nothing to do with marijuana.
And.
Everything to do with the illegal pill trade.
5 Conservative // Oct 30, 2009 at 9:50 am
I hear these horror stories of people being found passed out in parking lots with needles stuck in their arm, or drivers being pulled over with pill residue found in their nostrils. Just a couple of weeks ago a guy died of an overdose in an eastern Kentucky jail. People’s homes are being broken into and what’s being stolen is either medication, or stuff that can be sold so people can buy pills. There are legitimate uses for pain medication, but somewhere down the line someone somehow decided that you can crush up a pill and snort it, or crush it up and dissolve it and shoot it up. It’s a scourge on the state and it needs to be dealt with. The users need help, the pushers need to be sent down the river, and the doctors who are promoting this illegal trade need to be dealt with.
6 jaded dude // Oct 30, 2009 at 10:59 am
Yeah, all those professionals who use marijuana are really taxing our society, aren’t they?
The stereotype of the lazy stoner, sitting around living off of society, might be applicable to teenagers, but the adults I know, who ONLY use marijuana, have no trouble supporting themselves or their children.
Instead of inhaling lung-damaging smoke, many marijuana connoisseurs use vaporizers now.
If driving while ONLY stoned is such a hazard, maybe someone could lay out some statistics to support this claim. I’m guessing close to zero percent of the DUIs issued in Kentucky last year were for driving while stoned and just about 100% were issued for people driving under the influence of alcohol, or under the influence of drugs mixed with
alcohol.
Marijuana is a beautiful plant with proven therapeutic benefits. If you believe in God, marijuana is a gift from God. If you don’t believe in God, marijuana is a gift of nature.
Defeating meth heads and controlling the illicit dealing of pharmaceuticals is where law enforcement should rightfully spend most of their resources.
7 trust me // Oct 30, 2009 at 4:13 pm
This bust was about bringing pills into the state, wasn’t it? If it was about marijuana, then I missed that part.
Marijuana is a gateway drug, pure and simple. Yes, there are folks that never move beyond it, but how many start out with weed as kids and then immediately want more/bigger/better? When dope won’t do want they want, pills will.
As for the KSP, I expect them to pursue ALL criminals, whether it be Sparkman’s killer, or the pill dealer down the road. I’ve known plenty of KSP for years and can honestly say that not one of them is my enemy. If they are your enemy, then look at yourself for the reason.
8 jaded dude // Oct 30, 2009 at 5:13 pm
Where does the gateway start?
I could argue caffeine, sugar, tobacco or beer is more of a gateway since most people try those before trying marijuana.
9 Hippy Killer // Oct 30, 2009 at 7:30 pm
The addicts who are “hooked” on hard drugs are just selfish, vapid people who don’t deserve the oxygen they are breathing. Perhaps they have drug problems because their of underlying adolescent angst that they never outgrew or just need an excuse to call themselves failures. Without drugs, they’d wouldn’t likely contribute to society anyway, kind of like Emo kids. If they want to remove themselves from society, then they should do so with as little cost to taxpayers as possible. Razor blades are cheap.
10 trust me // Nov 2, 2009 at 1:39 pm
The gateway starts where the illegal behavior begins.
Please don’t duck the argument by changing definitions of “gateway”.
11 jaded dude // Nov 2, 2009 at 7:25 pm
Tobacco is illegal if you are under 18.
Alcohol is illegal if you are under 21.
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