<img class="size-medium wp-image-1021 alignleft" src="http://carolinacrossroads.news/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/we-support-our-police-300x198.jpg" alt="we-support-our-police" width="300" height="198" />

This is part of an ongoing series focusing on the role our Police and Sheriff departments play, as we quest for solutions to failing communities, severely depressed economies and a rising tide of violent crime.

We were in the neighborhood and decided to stop by the <strong>Vance Convenience Store</strong> to see if we could learn more about the unfolding story regarding the Laurinburg Police Department's (LPD) recent <span style="color: #0000ff;">drug bust</span> that occurred there due to the alleged sale of Synthetic Marijuana, known as Spice.

The Vance Convenience Store is located several hundred feet from the Laurinburg Housing Authority's 'Morris Complex' leasing office.

It was early afternoon and a group of about twenty young to middle age males stood out front. A steady stream of customers came and went, mostly on foot.

Walking inside, we immediately recognized Yassar Alssiadyhe, one of the arrest-es. We introduced ourselves and asked for an interview. Yassar was warm, friendly, engaging and obliging. We went outside to talk so as not to interrupt customer traffic.

Yassar, a university educated Civil Engineer, worked for the World Bank in his native Yemen before emigrating to the the United States about seven years ago. He's bright, articulate and while conversant in English, he's not fluent. We and he had to listen carefully to each other and frequently ask for clarification.

Yassar manages the Vance store, plus another in a neighboring town, so he can't be present at all times, especially given that the store is a 24/7 operation.

When present owners purchased the store things were not going well, so it's taken a lot of effort, and given the neighbourhood's shallow pool of qualified perspective employees, hiring and retaining good help continues to be challenging.

Employees have been discharged in the past, including just prior to the 'bust', after video surveillance and other means revealed undesirable and possible illegal activity. Yassar also revealed that, given the often close relationship between employees and area customers, disgruntled ex-employees could work behind the scenes to stir things up.

Yassar told us that in the past he's had a positive, cooperative relationship with LPD and is surprised and puzzled that this incident culminated in his arrest. According to Yassar, Spice was discovered in an employee backpack by LPD. When we asked what in-store surveillance video showed, Yassar responded that employees could be seen going outside during working hours with customers and then returning (certainly a suspicious practice). We questioned why LPD would arrest him given this potentially important video evidence. Yassar maintained that LPD has yet to inquire about or ask for surveillance videos, which he said could readily be made available.

The one thing that stuck out throughout our conversation was Yassar's insistence that his story, if allowed to be told, along with the evidence, if properly presented, would firmly establish his innocence. He further stated that neither he or owners would risk reputations or the business by participating in or knowingly allowing illegal activities to take place.

Yassar appears very unfamiliar with the judicial process, but remains optimistic regarding the police, our legal system and his eventual outcome.

We made several attempts to speak with LPD Chief Darwin Williams regarding this case, but so far have been unable to connect.

We'll keep you updated.

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Related Articles:

<address><span style="color: #0000ff;"><a style="color: #0000ff;" title="123" href="http://carolinacrossroads.news/open-honest-transparent-city-council-needed/" target="_blank">Open, Honest, Transparent City Council Needed</a></span></address><address><span style="color: #0000ff;"><a style="color: #0000ff;" title="123" href="http://carolinacrossroads.news/who-is-spying-on-you/" target="_blank">Who’s Spying on You?</a></span></address><address><span style="color: #0000ff;"><a style="color: #0000ff;" title="123" href="http://carolinacrossroads.news/scotland-county-to-build-new-school/" target="_blank">Scotland County’s New School</a></span></address><address> </address>[polldaddy rating="8361352"]

&nbsp;
<p style="text-align: center;"><em><strong><span style="font-size: 16px; color: #de030b;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva,sans- serif;">We'd love to hear your questions or comments below. Thank you.</span></span></strong></em></p>
&nbsp;
<p style="text-align: center;">* * * * *</p>
<em><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva,sans-serif;">Fair Use Notice: This website post may contain copyrighted material. Such material is made available for news reporting, educational and other limited purposes only. This constitutes a ‘fair use’ of any such copyrighted material as provided for in title 17 U.S.C. Section 107 of the US Copyright Law.</span></span></em>

<em><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva,sans-serif;">CarolinaCrossroads.News (‘CCN’) has no control over and does not endorse any external Internet site that contains links to or references CCN.</span></span></em>

&nbsp;