In an unprecedented event among law enforcement agencies in Tennessee, Mississippi and Arkansas, Deputies with the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office will coordinate a regional crime suppression initiative this weekend that will involve Officers from more than 50 federal, state and local agencies.

“This is the first time a regional effort of this magnitude has ever been conducted. We are proud to be the coordinating agency for ‘Operation Sudden Impact.’ We’ll use this weekend’s initiative as a starting point to begin a routine of sharing crime information among the various agencies, said Shelby County Sheriff Mark H. Luttrell, Jr.

During “Operation Sudden Impact,” the police agencies from six counties in the tri-state area will simultaneously round up fugitives, conduct traffic safety checkpoints and be involved in other crime abatement programs starting Saturday, April 12 at 7 a.m. and ending 24 hours later at 7 a.m. the next day.

The names of those who are arrested, issued traffic citations or noted in other criminal activity will then be reviewed by Intelligence Officers at the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office Homeland Security Operations Center. The crime information will then be forwarded to the State of Tennessee Homeland Security Center in Nashville to see if they might have possible ties to terrorist activity.

“Many major industries are located in Shelby County. Our community is considered an international distribution center and is a possible target for terrorists. ‘Operation Sudden Impact’ will help us prepare for that possibility,” said Captain Dale Lane, Commander of the Sheriff’s Office Homeland Security Bureau.

During the past few months, Deputies with the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office Homeland Security Bureau have made on-site inspections at various businesses throughout Shelby County to identify ways terrorists might damage the businesses.

About 500 Officers from the various law enforcement agencies also received specialized training about tactics used by terrorists.

Community education sessions were also conducted recently for the public in Shelby, Tipton and Fayette Counties in Tennessee and in Desoto County, Mississippi. The two-hour sessions helped the students learn to spot possible terrorist activity in their neighborhoods.

During “Operation Sudden Impact” this weekend, reporters will be allowed inside the Sheriff’s Office Homeland Security Command Center in Memphis at 994 South Bellevue. The command center will be in operation this Saturday evening starting at 6:00. Representatives from most of the participating agencies will be at the center until about 9:00 p.m.

The following agencies have invited reporters to be part of their crime suppression activities this weekend:

Shelby County Sheriff’s Office
Fugitive-Gang Sweeps-Traffic-Surveillance Operations

Captain Dale Lane
Office 901-947-0500
Mobile 901-508-5358

US Coast Guard - Starting at 5 p.m. on Saturday vessels will conduct river patrols

Timothy Martin, LT, USCG
Chief of Response
Sector Lower Mississippi River
Memphis, TN
Voice: 901-521-4747
Mobile: 901-833-0345

Bartlett Police Department
Crime Suppression Unit/Fugitive Attempts

Inspector Steve Todd
Office 901-385-5500
Mobile 901-734-6500

Millington Police Department
Directed Patrol Operations

Inspector Charlie Coleman
Office 901-873-3340

Tipton County Sheriff’s Office

Chief Donna Turner
Office 901-475-3300
Mobile 901-258-0993

Desoto County Sheriff’s Office

Sheriff Bill Rasco
Office 662-429-1470

Somerville Police Department (Fayette County)

Chief Kenny Feathers
Office 901-465-3205
Mobile 901-491-7200

Fayette County Sheriff’s Office

Inspector Ray Garcia
901-465-3456
901-826-9658

Here is the complete list of police agencies involved in the “Operation Sudden Impact” law enforcement partnership:

United States Attorney’s Office

United States Coast Guard

Federal Protection Services

Federal Bureau of Investigation

United States Immigration & Customs Enforcement

• Office of Investigations
• Office of Deportation and Removal

United States Marshal

United States Secret Service

Transportation Security Administration

Drug Enforcement Administration

Tennessee Attorney General-Memphis

Tennessee Bureau of Investigation

Tennessee Office of Homeland Security-Nashville

Tennessee Department of Safety

Tennessee Probation and Parole

West TN Violent Crimes Task Force Judicial Districts 28, 29 and 30

Memphis International Airport Police

Union Pacific Railroad Police

25TH Judicial District (Fayette, Hardeman, Lauderdale, McNairy & Tipton)

• Fayette County Sheriff’s Office
• LaGrange PD
• Moscow PD
• Oakland PD
• Piperton PD
• Rossville PD
• Somerville PD

Lauderdale County

• Lauderdale County Sheriff’s Office
• Gates PD
• Halls PD
• Henning PD
• Ripley PD

Tipton County

• Tipton County Sheriff’s Office
• Atoka PD
• Brighton PD
• Covington PD
• Munford PD
• Mason PD

Shelby County Area

Bartlett PD
Collierville PD
Germantown PD
Memphis PD
Millington PD
Shelby County Sheriff’s Office
Shelby County Government Office of Preparedness

 

Mississippi

• Olive Branch PD
• Horn Lake PD
• Desoto County Sheriff’s Office
• Southaven PD

Arkansas Law Enforcement Agencies

• Crittenden County Sheriff’s Office
• West Memphis PD

Other Agencies

• Memphis Shelby Crime Commission
• University of Memphis Center for Criminology and Research
• University of Memphis Police Department
• Memphis Shelby County Citizens Corps Council (EMA)
• Southwest Tennessee Community College Police Services