Durham, Orange sheriffs say ‘strike teams’ will tackle rising crime on I-85, I-40 corridor
Four North Carolina sheriffs formally introduced a “strike team” crime-fighting strategy Wednesday to address rising violence across the Interstate 85 and 40 corridors that connect the four counties.
Sheriffs from Durham, Orange, Alamance and Guilford counties held a news conference Wednesday to talk about the strike team. It was the first formal announcement of the collaboration between the counties’ sheriffs, though it was formed over a year ago.
“Crime knows no boundaries, and the STRIKE Team is a multi-faceted approach to address the proliferation of firearms, illegal drugs and human trafficking in our region along the I-85/I-40 corridor,” Durham County Sheriff Birkhead said in a written statement. “This strategic crime fighting approach to share intelligence is vital as we work together in law enforcement to reduce violent crime and intercepting the flow of illegal drugs and guns in Durham County.”
The press conference was held six days before North Carolina’s primary election. All four sheriffs present Wednesday are seeking reelection May 17: Birkhead in Durham, Charles Blackwood in Orange, Danny Rogers in Guilford and Terry Johnson in Alamance.
The effort, the sheriffs said, is meant to apprehend suspects wanted across county boundaries and tackle the flow of firearms transported along the highways.
Blackwood declined to “go into particulars of how we operate because that puts us at a disadvantage” but said that “collective resources, collective efforts” allow the respective Sheriff’s offices to help each other track down problematic suspects with arrest warrants.
The Sheriff previously told the INDY Week that a memorandum of understanding was signed between the counties in March 2021.
Rising crime
Violent crimes and gun violence are currently poised to break previous records in Durham, according to year-to-date data from the Durham Police Department.
Citing a shortage in deputies in Durham, Birkhead said the collaboration to confront crime makes sense because of “finite resources.”
“The reason we’re holding (this conference) now is because we about to reinitiate — we’re about to start over,” he said. “We think it’s time to let people know what we’re doing now. We’re continuing to see the gun violence and everyone’s wondering what’s going on.
From January 2021 to March 30 this year, the strike team’s work in Durham County has led to 84 arrests resulting in 278 charges, according to the Sheriff’s Office. They have assisted other jurisdictions in 41 operations and seized 42 firearms in that timeframe.
Blackwood said the strike team is the response to heightened gun violence, adding that bus drivers shouldn’t have to dodge bullets while transporting children. Blackwood referred to a Durham Public Schools bus that was forced to swerve into a ditch to avoid gunshots on Monday.
Birkhead confirmed that a strike team operation was underway the night of April 9 when someone shot at an unmarked vehicle outside of public housing in Durham that later was disclosed as belonging to an Alamance Sheriff’s deputy.
The incident remains under investigation, he said.
Birkhead is facing three other candidates in the race for Durham County Sheriff: former FBI special agent Maria Jocys, former Durham police chief Jose Lopez and Paul Martin, a former officer of both the Durham Police Department and Sheriff’s Office.
In response to the news conference, Jocys released statements criticizing the effectiveness and transparency of the strike team, calling it “shadowy.”
“Durham County desperately needs law enforcement agencies which are building community trust with transparent work and smart partnerships with agencies which are accountable to Durham voters,” said Jocys. “Instead we have Durham County’s Sheriff finally disclosing six days before an election a shadowy Strike Team which can show no tangible impact in Durham County in the face of a record level of gun violence.”
This story was originally published May 11, 2022 at 6:37 PM with the headline "Durham, Orange sheriffs say ‘strike teams’ will tackle rising crime on I-85, I-40 corridor."
