2019 has been a busy year for the Nolan County Sheriff’s Office. An area that the Sheriff’s Office continues to excel in, is in the area of illegal drug investigations. Our success is due to a great collaboration between the Criminal Investigation Division (CID) of the Nolan County Sheriff’s Office along with the 32nd Judicial District Attorney’s Office and the Abilene office of the Criminal Investigations Division of the Texas Department of Public Safety.
A key part of our success has also been due to the excellent level of cooperation our office has received from citizens. Residents calling in tips and giving us valuable intelligence is a crucial part of the effort to combat this type of criminal enterprise. “Without your help and confidence in us, we would not be this effective” said Nolan County Sheriff David Warren.
The Patrol Deputies of the Sheriff’s Office are to be commended as well for their daily efforts of being the eyes and ears throughout the county. These Deputies have stopped numerous offenders and violators, made many drug arrests and continued to feed valuable information to the Criminal Investigation Division all while performing their multitude of other duties. “I am truly blessed to have such a dedicated and competent staff” stated Warren.
A focus for 2019 was to take as many drug dealers off the streets of our county as possible. Starting in 2017, the CID section of NCSO has conducted a series of operations, with the other two entities previously listed, that have netted a total of 34 felony arrests of drug dealers with most of those being arrested in 2019. These particular players were not just the “low lying fruit” or just “users” but instead were dealers well up the supply chain that were responsible for bringing in large quantities of methamphetamine, heroin, crack cocaine, powder cocaine, marihuana and other illicit and illegal substances. “These substances have ruined many lives in Nolan County and are always responsible for a myriad of other crimes committed against our friends and neighbors” Warren commented. Several of the ones arrested have come here to Nolan County from other parts of Texas or the United States, simply to profit from selling their poison here in Nolan County.
There have thankfully been some tough sentences handed down thanks to the efforts of committed citizens, diligent prosecutors and strong judges here in Nolan County. The sentences handed down thus far range well over 200 cumulative years with a 90-year sentence on one major drug dealer handed down just a couple of weeks ago. Several of these offenders remain in our jail awaiting their turn for prosecution.
You may have seen some of our successes in the headlines throughout the past year, but our efforts continue night and day and many times going unnoticed. Over the last three years, we have made a total of 310 drug arrests, 27 burglary arrests, 20 Unauthorized Use of Vehicle arrests and many other felony cases against criminal offenders in Nolan County. During this period we have recovered 12 stolen vehicles and a substantial amount of assorted stolen property including guns, jewelry, knives, tools, etc.. “We won’t slack off and we don’t give up. We work for you, the citizens of this great county, and we will continue to make Nolan County a safer place to live, work and raise your family.” stated Sheriff Warren.