The DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office has seen an increase in contraband items inside the jail since January. (Dreamstime/TNS)
By Alexis Stevens
They use items like broomsticks to break windows. Then, some DeKalb County inmates have been able to sneak in items like cellphones, their chargers and drugs into the jail from the outside world, officials say.
Since January, the DeKalb sheriff’s office has seen an uptick in the number of contraband items in the jail. But on Tuesday, the office said that its recent “Operation Eyes in the Skies” initiative has cracked down on some of those responsible. Drones and boosted security are part of the effort.
“The inmates and their contacts on the outside have become bolder by operating throughout daylight hours,” Chief Deputy Randy Akies said. “But today’s message is we, the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office, is smarter than the average criminal.”
At least eight people have already been charged for their alleged roles in the contraband ring, Akies said.
Sheriff Melody Maddox said the push to ban the items is part of an ongoing effort to keep both inmates and employees at the jail safe, as well as keeping the public safe from criminal activity.
Cell phones allow inmates, including gang members, to continue assisting with crimes outside of the jail, Maddox said. Additionally, drugs brought into the jail are contributing to overdoses and mental health issues of inmates, she said.
“If they are brought in the facility, they can get into the hands of those individuals who were never on drugs and now it has gotten into their system and there’s more of an issue there,” Maddox said.
Repairing broken windows and increasing security is costly, the sheriff said. That affects the taxpayers’ wallets, she said. The department has spent more than $25,000 on drones and $200,000 each on full-body scanners for use when those arrested are brought to jail, Maddox said. Several deputies are now part of the drone unit.
“We want the community to know that this has to stop because if they’re not safe in here, when these individuals get out into the regular community, they will not be safe as well,” Maddox said.
Read the original story on AJC.com.
