DAVIDSON COUNTY, N.C. — A special investigations unit in Davidson County is getting drugs and illegal guns off the streets. The special unit is called the T.R.A.C.E team and their duties are different than that of other deputies.
T.R.A.C.E stands for traffic and criminal enforcement. Different than other deputies, they don't answer calls regularly. Instead, they patrol different high crime areas throughout the county.
"Knowing where those problem areas are, we go out and we conduct speed enforcement, DWI enforcement, make numerous DWI arrests and throughout each traffic stop typically a lot of our seizures involve Meth, Cocaine, Fentanyl. And it involves each officer that are highly trained with experience that we have through the sheriff's office," said Lt. Jerry Soles.
Lt. Soles is the team lead. He said team members are assigned different roles in identifying, stopping, and arresting people who participate in criminal activity.
Sgt. Ricky Beck has been on the team since its start. He's also been in law enforcement for 14 years.
"A criminal only has to get it right every single day, we only have to get it right one time and make an arrest on somebody. We're out in the community you never know where we're going to be. So, I suggest you take your crime outside of Davidson County," said Sgt. Beck.
The T.R.A.C.E team was Sheriff Richie Simmons idea. He wanted to create a team that would suppress crime throughout the county.