Police Coalition Established For Two Counties

SNOW HILL -- The Worcester County Sheriff's Office is no longer restrained by state borders when pursuing certain criminals.

A coalition between the Worcester County and Accomack County Sheriff's Offices has created the Eastern Shore Drug Task Force, devoted to working together and with federal authorities to seek out and prosecute those who travel over state lines to sell drugs.

Cpl. Nate Passwaters is a member of the Worcester County Sheriff's Office, but he's also deputized in Accomack County and by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms.

"Drug dealers don't have boundaries like we do," says Passwaters.

Since forming, the task force has charged about 20 alleged drug dealers, all of whom frequently crossed state lines, police officials said. The cooperation between agencies has helped with the flow of information, they say, conducting surveillance operations and getting warrants issued.

"They are under the assumption we are limited in our enforcement," says Passwaters. "It gives them a false sense of security, where they say 'I'm in another state, so it's going to be harder to prosecute me.' "

The select number of officers who serve on the task force may have jurisdiction in other counties, but they can't simply follow suspects wherever they want to. The cases must have a drug component to them.

"I can't just go into Accomack and say, I think I'm going to stop cars today," says Passwaters. He is currently working with Delaware State Police to set up a similar agreement.

Deciding where to prosecute cross-border drug crimes is not complicated by the arrangement. According to Passwaters, if someone is arrested in Virginia, they are prosecuted in Virginia. If they are arrested in Maryland, they are prosecuted in Maryland.

Several cases have been prosecuted on the federal level, based on the quantity of drugs recovered or the presence of firearms, which allows the task force greater access to federal resources and prosecutors. It is also the reason Passwaters is deputized as an ATF officer.

Passwaters says the Sheriff's Office also works with agencies in Somerset and Wicomico counties to share information and collaborate on complex cases.

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