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Posted: 5:36 p.m.
Monday, Dec. 8, 2014
Police task force making city ‘less desirable
for the less desirable’
By http://www.journal-news.com/staff/ed-richter/" rel="nofollow - Staff Writer
MIDDLETOWN —
The latest crime sweep by Middletown’s special police task force in the
Sherman Park/Crawford Street
area resulted in 19 felony arrests for drugs and 11 others for various
misdemeanors, according to police officials.
The Special Operations Unit also served 17
bench warrants, issued nine criminal summonses and 17 misdemeanor citations and
made 31 traffic stops. The task force did saturation patrols in the
neighborhood between Sept. 22 and Nov. 1 with a focus on drug enforcement.
City officials hope the task force’s crime
crackdown will make Middletown
“less desirable for the less desirable” while improving quality of life and
eliminating nuisances.
In
addition to patrolling the Sherman
Park/Crawford Street area, the task force returned
to the Church Street
area — where they have previously conducted a crime sweep — to execute a search
warrant in the 1700 block of Columbia
Avenue. Sgt. David Birk of the Special Operations
Unit said charges are pending on that search.
“They (the task forces) are very effective
and provide an instant impact for residents,” Birk said. “But task forces have
to be flexible to go to areas where the stats takes us to.”
But
even when there is a focused enforcement effort in one neighborhood, Birk said
it only displaces the offenders to another area. He said there were 15 people
arrested or issued summonses during this task force effort who were repeat
offenders such as for drugs or prostitution.
“It’s a constant battle, but we’re doing
the best we can with what we have now,” he said.
Birk said a number of the arrests made were
the result of residents calling in anonymous tips to the police hotline.
“I know a lot of them (residents) are
thankful,” he said. “The hotline takes us to various locations.”
During the task force effort, Middletown
police and the Ohio Highway Patrol teamed up Oct. 9-11 for a three-day
saturation enforcement to combat drug and traffic offenses that made 220
traffic stops and contacts and netted 65 arrests and 155 warnings in the
Sherman Park and Oakland Park areas. The effort was funded through an overtime
grant from the state and supplemented the task force effort that was already in
operation.
Between July 28 and Sept. 16, police
focused on the Church Street
area where 85 charges, including 12 felony arrests, were made against 85
people, according to police. During that effort, one person who was arrested
called that area “the skillet” because of the focused enforcement.
Police ask residents who see drug activity
or a crime to call the Police Tip Hotline at 513-425-7749 or police dispatch at
513-425-7700.
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