The morning begins with a briefing at the Highway Patrol station outside Roanoke Rapids.

It is a patrol headed by Lieutenant Chuck Hasty of the Halifax County Sheriff’s Office where officers from multiple agencies will be patrolling Interstate 95 looking for violations, violations the officers hope may turn up bigger offenses: drugs, weapons, wanted people.

While the two-day patrol won’t lead to huge caches of weapons, trafficking amounts of drugs or fugitives from America’s Most Wanted, Operation Summer Heat does net 114 charges and more than 55 grams of marijuana.

So, why is the sheriff’s leading a patrol that will net more traffic violations than criminal arrests?

Hasty explains, “That’s the old school thinking that the sheriff’s office doesn’t do any traffic enforcement but we are required to enforce all the laws of North Carolina, criminal, traffic, civil stuff. A lot have that misconception that the sheriff can’t stop you for driving or motor vehicle infractions but we have the authority to.”

The patrol will show some of the techniques officers use to stop vehicles, many they won’t discuss, but some which have become common knowledge over the years such as window tinting. “The thing is, if I can’t see you, you can’t see me.”

Another thing the officers look for is something Hasty calls “felony flashers,” a notion that criminals get so nervous when stopped they try to do everything right down to making sure they turn their flashers on.

The big misconception on traffic enforcement is the flashier the car, the bigger chances there are of finding huge drug stockpiles. This isn’t true, Hasty says. “Drug traffickers use low key cars. They’re not going to be standing out.”

That’s why the officers have to look for the moving violations, aggressive driving, following too close or just an admission by the driver.

That’s how Deputy Emerson Carroll found 50 grams of marijuana in a car heading for Myrtle Beach. The driver made a reckless lane change that nearly led to a wreck, Carroll said, as officers took photos of the pungent pot.

Hasty said the driver told Carroll he had some marijuana for personal use in his pocket. That gave the officer consent to search and Jetta, the dog of correctional Officer Pat Baggett, indicated there was more in the vehicle, some 50 grams that led to the arrest of one the drivers.

“Sometimes, you just smell it,” Hasty said.

Agencies learn from each other what the most popular vehicle for carrying drugs may be at the moment. “There are some voids in certain vehicles that can be constructed into hidden compartments.”

Following all stops the officers must fill out a two part form that is sent to the State Bureau of Investigation.

Part I of the traffic stop report requires officers to check why the vehicle was stopped, driver information including race, sex and ethnicity, enforcement action taken, whether there was physical resistance and whether a search was done of the vehicle, driver or passenger.

If a search was done officers must go to Part II of the form to indicate the type of search, why the search was done and who was searched.

The officer must again fill out the sex, race and ethnicity of each person searched, note the contraband found and what property was seized.

Hasty wasn’t disheartened the patrol didn’t turn up trafficking amounts of drugs. “You look for the violations and always hope that violation leads to the big bust of drugs, money or guns or one of America’s Most Wanted.”