Royalton Police Use Seized Truck As Drug Trafficking Model

ROYALTON -- Royalton Police rolled out their latest example of how illegal drugs has no place in their community.

The department used a seized truck as a model to show if you are caught with or use drugs, your actions will have consequences.

Police Chief Adam Gunderson says in April 2017, one of their officers pulled over the driver of the truck for a traffic stop. The driver was later arrested and the truck seized after police found a large amount of meth and other drugs inside.

Gunderson says, according to state statute, law enforcement are allowed to seize money and property involved in drug crimes, based on several conditions. Once in police custody, the owner is then informed and given a chance to reclaim the vehicle.

The registered owner has to be served with those papers and then they are given the opportunity to fight the police to get the property back. In this case the owner let the time expire, which is 60 days, and all they have to do is contact the county attorney and say we want to fight this.

In June the department took ownership of the truck and decided to use it as a tool against drug trafficking. He says a local business volunteered to wrapped the truck, which the department showcased at their annual Platte River Days parade last month.

Gunderson says their goal with this demonstration is to continue to provide a safe and healthy community and warn offenders they will not stand for any type of actions that could to jeopardize that lifestyle.

Hopefully by putting this out there and letting people know we don't want this (drugs) in our community, as a police department we are going to fight it, and this is consequences that might happen if we catch you coming through our jurisdiction with this stuff.

Gunderson says moving forward they plan to put the truck up for auction. The proceeds from the sale will then be divided between the state, county and city to used for drug enforcement.