Rutherford County Sheriff's Office
Criminal Investigations Division

ICE/CANINE UNIT

As a part of the Investigative Services Division, the Interstate Crime Enforcement Unit (ICE) aggressively enforces Tennessee's traffic laws and detects and suppresses criminal activity on the streets and highways of Rutherford County.  Since its inception in 1998, over 1,650 suspects have been arrested and over $600,000 has been seized.  There has been only one traffic fatality on interstate 24 in Rutherford County while the ICE Unit was on duty.   I-24 averages 12 fatalities per year in the county.

No slipping past sheriff’s ICE officers:
Unit wins national honor for service to community

By Lisa Marchesoni / Staff Reporter of The Daily News Journal

Sheriff’s deputies from the Interstate Crime Enforcement division captured the top national award for their achievements, dedication and service to the community.

The National Criminal Enforcement Association presented the Capt. Robbie Edward Bishop 314 Team Award to the Rutherford County ICE Unit for being one of the top interdiction teams in the country during a session last week in Charleston, S.C. It is named after Bishop, who was an interdiction officer in Villa Ricca, Ga., when he was killed on duty Jan. 20, 1999.

The ICE unit concentrates its efforts on traffic and drug enforcement on Interstate 24. The unit confiscated more than $1.7 worth of illegal narcotics last year, including more than 15 pounds of heroin.

Lt. Chris Haynes said NCEA recognized the division for its work the past six years on a non-pipeline drug interstate. "We were told the by the president we didn’t have the biggest seizures in the country, but we were consistent making large drug seizures, large currency seizures and drug arrests,” Haynes said. “I think we were all shocked.”

The unit seized four kilos of heroin in one stop, three pounds shy of the largest confiscation in the NCEA group last year. "It's just a good feeling to be recognized by your peers and receive national recognition for our efforts,” Haynes said.

The unit presented the plaque to Sheriff Truman Jones. "You have performed above and beyond the call of duty,” Jones said, adding the officers work on their own initiative. “You guys have really been special.”

Haynes and Deputy Lee Young, who knew the late Bishop, were especially honored by the award. "This means a lot knowing what type of person he was,” Haynes said. All ICE vehicles carry a decal memorializing Bishop with his initials and date of his death. The decal reminds Haynes to be careful.

Young said he remembers hearing of Bishop’s death, which encouraged him to work harder. “We lost part of us,” said Young, who was shot at during one drug pursuit a few years ago. “It makes me want to work harder to catch the bad guys.”

ICE Deputy Shawn Applegate said Bishop’s wife and children attend the national meeting each year. The decal reminds him to concentrate on the job. "This stop could be your last,” Applegate said, describing the apprehension officers feel when they stop a motorist.

ICE Deputy Scott Baker said Bishop inspires everyone. "He inspires me to work hard, so his death was not unrecognized,” Baker said.

ICE Deputy Kenneth Barrett said Bishop’s memory reminds him, “If it happens to one police officer, it happens to you, too.”

ICE Deputy Will Holton, who is serving with the National Guard in Baghdad, was notified about the award by e-mail.

Besides the award, the ICE deputies attended training classes to help the officers learn about hidden compartments in vehicles and learn information from experts.

Haynes said the organization’s members come from 15 states and Canada. Course curriculum is sponsored by the National Highway Traffic Safety Association and approved by the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People and the American Civil Liberties Union.