Surveillance of Country Crossings Continues By Troopers and ABI

Rickey Stokes

Viewed: 7503

Posted by: RStokes
thehoustonnewspaper@yahoo.com
334-790-1729
Date: Feb 06 2010 8:19 PM

HOUSTON COUNTY:   Country Crossings  surveillance continues.

While state workers could face up to 24 days off without pay this year, the State Trooper and Alabama Bureau of Investigation surveillance of Country Crossings continues.

Today a marked Alabama State Trooper car remained parked in the median north of Country Crossings all day. A green unmarked car roamed Highway 231 up and down in front of Country Crossings.

The white male law enforcement officer was reported to have been seen traveling north in front of Country Crossings to Eddins Road, turned right to Middleton Road, then right, back around to Iris Road to Eddins Road back to 231, then south to the fireworks stand across from Country Crossings. The unmarked car pulled to the door of the fireworks stand watching the venue in his mirror.

On Friday a unmarked black Ford Expedition sit across from Country Crossings at Harden Road watching the facility. Last evening a unmarked Dodge Durango sit south of the facility watching. A 24/7 surveillance.

Some of the persons in the unmarked vehicles are agents of the Alabama Bureau of Investigation.

Country Crossings has remained closed since January 29 when Alabama Governor Bob Riley – John Tyson and Colonel Chris Murphy sent over 200 Alabama State Troopers to Dothan’s Country Crossings without a search warrant. The vigil of the property has been constant since then.

While the vigil is on going, Chris Murphy, Director of the Alabama Department of Public Safety was crying the general budget committee that layoffs would occur within the department because of budget woes. Murphy refused to give the committee the costs of the misdemeanor bingo operations raids. Murphy claimed on going investigations would prevent him from giving cost figures.

The vigil continues. Should some of the ABI and Troopers be on overtime, their rate of pay could be close to $ 50 per hour. Out of town Troopers are given per day expense allowances and motel rooms.

 

 

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