Buncombe County -- August 11, 2026: Buncombe County Sheriff’s deputies seized fentanyl, methamphetamine, prescription drugs, and other controlled substances during a July 29 operation in Arden, according to the Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office.
Detectives and patrol deputies with the Sheriff’s Office’s Community Oriented Problem Solving (COPS) Team found approximately 18.8 grams of fentanyl, 189.18 grams of methamphetamine, 12.10 grams of a Schedule III controlled substance, 195 dosage units of prescription drugs, and drug paraphernalia in a vehicle at 975 Glen Bridge Road.
Alexander Brooks Rowell was arrested and faces multiple felony and misdemeanor charges, including:
Trafficking in fentanyl, methamphetamine, and opium or heroin
Possession with intent to sell or deliver controlled substances
Maintaining a vehicle or property for controlled-substance activity
Possession of drug paraphernalia
Rowell also faces misdemeanor charges of simple possession of Schedule II and Schedule IV controlled substances. He was booked into the Buncombe County Detention Center and held without bond.
What is the Buncombe County Sheriff’s COPS Team?
While standard patrol deputies spend their shifts answering continuous 911 dispatch calls, the Community Oriented Problem Solving (COPS) Team functions as a specialized, proactive unit within the Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office. Their job is to pull back from basic call-to-call response and focus on persistent, localized neighborhood issues.
What They Do in the Community:
Target Specific Hotspots: The team investigates recurring issues—such as open-air drug sales, chronic property crimes, or severe traffic hazards—in specific districts across Buncombe County.
Proactive Interventions: Instead of waiting for a crime to occur, COPS deputies use local intelligence, direct observations, and resident complaints to step in before larger public safety incidents escalate.
Neighborhood Liaison: They work closely with local district leadership to directly address "quality of life" concerns brought forward by residents.
In operations like the Glen Bridge Road bust, the COPS team uses concentrated surveillance and targeted patrols to locate suspected illegal activity, leading directly to major narcotics seizures and arrests.