More than 350 law enforcement officers across the southeast and locally joined together at the Golden Nugget Casino this morning as part of the Homeland Security Investigations and The Gulf Coast’s High Intensity Area Watch Center’s second annual South Mississippi Highway Awards Ceremony.
- - the southeast and locally joine- together at the golden- nugget casino in biloxi this- morning,- as part of the homeland securit- investigations- and the gulf coast's high - intensity drug trafficking area- hidta - watch center's 2nd annual south- mississippi highway - smuggling interdiction awards - ceremony.
- the event highlighted the - efforts of individual - officers and law enforcement- teams who interdict - criminals traveling through - their perspective - areas with illegal contraband.- as interstate 10 and south- mississippi are active smugglin- corridors for these criminals,- law enforcement - officials attending the event - also receive training - on what to look for, and how to- trap smugglers.
- - "some of the drugs that are smuggled- over these highways and network- are stopping in each community- that they - pass, so obviously there's that- threat.
The other concern to th- community is the illicit- money that's gained from this;- what's it being used to pay for- alot of it funds a lot of - the violence you see anywhere i- the world today."
"when you go to classes like this, you not only learn from - the instructors but you - network with other guys, you se- what they're seeing in differen- parts of the- country, and it leads you to- find more stuff cause you're- learning from your peers."
- - - patrolman ben mcquagge- ma-quay - with the gautier police - department received the - officer of the year award for - 2019.