Operation Family Friendly results in 20 Citations

This past weekend, deputies with the Oconee County Sheriff’s Office conducted “Operation Family Friendly” at the Fall Creek Landing Access in the Salem area at Lake Keowee. Deputies met many individuals and families there as part of the Oconee County Sheriff’s Office continued community policing efforts, but, deputies also wrote 20 citations while on patrol and made one arrest. Three citations were written for littering and drug violations and 14 citations were written for having an open alcohol container in a county park or recreation area. The individual arrested by deputies was 22-year-old William Antonio Bautista of Greenville for possession of marijuana. Oconee County Sheriff Mike Crenshaw said, “The Sheriff’s Office believes strongly in community policing as one of the best ways to build trust with those we serve. I always encourage our deputies to personally meet as many people as they can face to face and I commend the deputies who were involved for their work to build those relationships. As we get closer to Memorial Day and then between that time and Labor Day, our Marine Unit and deputies will be patrolling in their vehicles, on foot and in the water in the parks and on the lakes around the county and if we see any violations take place, we will not hesitate to issue citations and make arrests if necessary for offenses we see. We had several families who thanked us for our patrol’s this weekend. We want to do everything we can to make our parks safe for people to enjoy this summer in Oconee County.”