STOP Team

In 2009 the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office established the STOP team, which stands for Sheriff’s Tactical Operations Patrol.  The STOP team was established to deter criminal activity and to stop the vast amount of narcotics that have taken over the United States and West Virginia.

The unit is comprised of five members.  Each member must be highly motivated.  Team members are required to have street knowledge of the drug trade, be proficient in traffic law enforcement, be able to dissect conspiracies, and interview informants.  Often drug violations open up leads on burglaries, financial and property crimes, and all manner of crimes of violence, and a host of other cases.

Members gather intelligence in person, online, and through public provided tips.  Where many road patrol Deputies have limited time available to follow up on anonymous leads, STOP team members have more flexibility.  Their hours change from day to day and week to week.  Oftentimes, the team works a case from start to conclusion, working irregular hours with few breaks to solve crimes and remove drugs from the street.

If you have a drug tip, please call 304-357-4693 or 304-357-0169.