ROGERSVILLE — In response to public complaints about drug activity in the Rogersville City Park, both city and county authorities have stepped up patrols and surveillance of that area.
Deputies with the Hawkins County Sheriff’s Office’s Narcotics Unit who had the park under surveillance Thursday night approached two men in a vehicle who had dropped litter onto the park’s parking lot.
The occupants of the vehicle were identified as Jordan Lee Tramill, 19, and Salvador Miguel Miller, 19, both of 307 South Armstrong St., Rogersville.
Sheriff Ronnie Lawson said that as narcotics officers were speaking with the men, they smelled an odor that is consistent to burning synthetic marijuana, also known as Salvia Divinorum-A.
“Narcotics officers then observed a purple container of synthetic marijuana in plain view on the center console of the vehicle,” Lawson said. “Narcotics officers then recovered the illegal substance from the vehicle. Inside the container, sheriff’s narcotics officers recovered an additional four packages of the synthetic marijuana. The specific synthetic marijuana contains the illegal chemical compound identified as Salvia Divinorum-A.”
Tramill and Miller were each charged with possession of Salvia Divinorum-A and littering.
As of Sunday, Tramill remained held in the Hawkins County Jail, and Miller was free on bond. Both are scheduled for arraignment Nov. 14.
Lawson said his department will continue to work with the Rogersville Police Department to keep drugs out of parks.
“The park is there for families and children to utilize and enjoy themselves without having to be exposed to these illegal and potentially harmful happenings,” Lawson said. “As a reminder to anyone potentially taking part in this illegal activity in the city park, anyone caught selling or distributing any controlled substances of any kind on the property of the Rogersville City Park will also be charged with violation of the Tennessee Drug Free School Zone Act. This is an enhancement factor to the distribution of the controlled substance charges which can result in a defendant having to pull 100 percent of their jail sentence instead of the standard range one offender sentence of 30 percent.”
Lawson added, “Simply because you don’t see a marked police car in the park, don’t take for granted there aren’t any drug enforcement officers present.”
Anyone with information about drug activity at the park is encouraged to call the HCSO at 272-4848 or the RPD at 272-7555.