PUBLISHER’S LETTER/ A LOOK FROM THE INSIDE
I’LL ADMIT, I HAVE PROBABLY WATCHED ONE TOO
MANY EPISODES OF COPS IN MY LIFETIME. I’VE
ALWAYS BEEN FASCINATED WITH CRIME, THE LAW
AND LAW ENFORCEMENT. DESPITE THE BATTERING
THAT OUR POLICE HAVE TAKEN RECENTLY, I KNOW
WHAT AN HONORABLE AND DANGEROUS JOB MOST
OF THEM DO TO PROTECT US ALL.
So, naturally, I was excited when we found
ourselves on a very real drug bust operation.
“We” being ace photographer Thomas Carlson,
Officer Andy Arnsdorff (who managed to keep
us entertained during the surveillance) yours
truly, and about 25 other agents of the Chatham
County Narcotics Team (CNT).
Thomas and I were primed for a couple of
hours of heart-pounding, adrenaline-fueled
action. I heard the Cops theme song playing in my
head … Bad boys/Bad boys/Whatcha gonna do?/
Whatcha gonna do/When they come for you?
Oh, this was going to be something, alright.
We were excited to witness up close the good
guys taking down the bad guys.
And then …
… waiting. And waiting. And more waiting.
Over six hours of it.
Finally, an explosion of frenzied action. It was on!
For about one minute.
Just like that, it was over. The suspect, an
unfortunate sod who had allegedly transported a
pound of meth from Atlanta to Savannah for
$500, will face a minimum sentence of 15 years
in prison. That’s a payof f of .09 cents per day.
Drug crime often doesn’t pay, kids.
You might think we were disappointed but, in
fact, it made us admire these officers even more.
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S OUT H MAGA ZI NE.C OM
Despite knowing members of the CNT for
years — most notably Sgt. Gene Harley — and
doing some ride-alongs with its officers, those
long hours emphasized to me how much care
and preparation it takes to do the job well. What
these folks do most of the time is far removed
from the action clips you see on crime shows and
the news. It’s carefully considered, meticulous
work that commands patience.
The takedown is just the climax of many hours
of vigilant surveillance, myriad procedural details
and mountains of paperwork. It takes days, weeks,
months and even years to build a case.
Soon after, I had another law-enforcement
adventure: a ride-along with Pooler PD Officer
Morrow (thanks to Chief Mark Revenew).
We purposely chose the 9:30 p.m. to 4:30 a.m.
shift because that’s when people tend to behave
badly. And, bingo, we found some. We chased up
and down the highway after the law-breakers and
bagged ourselves a suspected DUI and another
with a suspended drivers’ license. Not exactly
like taking down Scarface, but enough to get the
heart pumping and a good night’s work for us.
Well, OK, I never got out of the car.
But Officer Morrow impressed me with how
he conducted himself. He treated those we
stopped with the utmost respect and profession-
alism while always keeping his eye on the ball.
Little things like this impressed.
While neither of these two experiences
produced quite the suspense and action of a
crime drama, they did provide a rare opportunity
to witness what it actually takes to protect and
serve — all of it.
So, next time you read about the heroic
derring-do of our LEOs during a drug bust,
armed robbery or hostage crisis — and especially
when you hear about a cop gone bad — please
remember the overwhelming majority who are
faithfully doing the truly hard and conscientious
work that goes on beyond the camera’s eye.
ABOUT
THE COVERS
➼ UNDERCOVER WOMAN
Featured on our 62nd cover is a
member of the Chatham County
Narcotics Team . This unit puts their
lives on the line daily to rid our
streets of drugs and crime. Their
devotion, long hours and hard work
keeps the South from being overrun
by this epidemic. Read more about
these agents and their heroic efforts..
Photographed by Chuck Coleman.
Gear: Daniel Defense rifle, Blue Force
Gear vest. See page 88.
Many thanks and keep reading,
–Michael Brooks,
Publisher/Creative Director
➼ DISTRICT ATTORNEY MEG HEAP
Featured on our 62nd cover
is district attorney, Meg Heap
photographed at the old jail in
downtown Savannah, Georgia.
Photography by Mark Staff and
styled by Ashley Borders with creative
direction by Michael Brooks . Read
more about Meg on page 110
Publisher Photography by Mark Staff