by Brandon Burley and The Redemption Project
Large narcotics investigations often begin long before they look large.
In many smaller communities, one officer noticing repeated movement, repeated names, or one local shift becomes the first signal that something larger may already be underway.
I am a retired detective and criminal justice / government educator based in Tennessee. I am a commentary write for Tennessee Lookout and a weekly columnist with Knox TN Today. My work examines public policy, public safety systems and civic responsibility. My reporting and commentary have also appeared in Governing, The Arizona Capitol Times, South Florida Sun Sentinel, Police1, among other state and regional outlets.
