On Friday morning, officers with Dallas County Sheriff’s Office (DCSO) led a joint operation with the Selma Police Department (SPD) to search the Dallas County Jail, cell by cell, in pursuit of contraband.

What officers uncovered was an arsenal of improvised shanks and knives, drugs ranging from marijuana to a variety of pills, 18 cell phones, cigarettes and lighters and more.

“We realized we had some contraband issues at the jail,” said DCSO Chief John Hatfield. “We thought it was appropriate to do a major search.”

Hatfield said the “shakedown” had been in the works for three to four weeks and was only the first in what will be a regular effort to crackdown on contraband in the local jail.

“This was the first of many shakedowns,” Hatfield said. “We realize we have a problem and some of it may be our own people. We’re committed to taking care of it and getting this stuff out of our jail.”

Hatfield noted that there is currently no evidence to implicate Dallas County Jail employees in assisting to smuggle the illegal contraband into the facility, but he suspects there are some involved.

“You didn’t get that kind of contraband in coming through the front door,” Hatfield said. “Common sense would tell us it’s some of our people.”

Hatfield said once personnel involved is uncovered, appropriate action will be taken to ensure that “bad seeds” are rooted out.

The search began around 8 a.m. Friday morning and covered “every square inch” of the jail over the next several hours, resulting in a number of inmates being found with contraband – Hatfield noted that those inmates will be charged in the coming days and likely face additional time.

The DCSO was assisted by 12 to 14 SPD officers, many from the department’s Narcotics Unit, as well as four K9 units.

“SPD and DCSO’s collaborative partnership has significantly strengthened over the past several months,” said SPD Chief Spencer Collier. “Selma PD’s role was to assist with manpower and K-9 detection and apprehension capabilities if needed. DCSO was the lead in the operation.”

Hatfield noted that much of the department’s guidance on the latest search comes from Sheriff Mike Granthum, formerly an employee in the Alabama Department of Corrections (ADOC).

“Our new sheriff is committed to this,” Hatfield said. “It definitely makes our job easier because he’s done it before.”

Hatfield also noted the contributions of Dallas County Jail Warden Mose Suttles, who has been employed with the department for 25 years but just recently took on the position at the jail.

“He has new ideas and so do we,” Hatfield said. “Our ideas are to take care of the issues that we have in our jail.”