Phoenix PD mark successful summer crime crackdown
Jul 31, 2013, 6:08 PM | Updated: 6:09 pm
The Phoenix Police Department released statistics from Operation Safe Summer on Wednesday, an eight-week long crime suppression operation focusing on illicit activity being committed by young people in high-crime areas of the city.
During the crackdown, police made contact with 9,534 people, resulting in 835 arrests, including 172 felony and 82 warrant arrests. A total of 15 guns were seized, 54 gang members were arrested and 88 more were booked on drug-related charges.
“It was tremendously successful and effective,” said Phoenix Police Officer Mike Meelhuysen. “Whenever you can get a large number of police officers in one geographic area and give them the freedom to look for criminal activity and contact citizens and find out what people believe is wrong in their neighborhoods, then go out and focus on those issues, it’s going to be a success for the community and for driving down crime stats.”
According to Phoenix police, over 50 police officers were assigned to the Targeted Enforcement Squad and Gang Enforcement United. As a single unit, they conducted a “proactive, technology-drive police work using real-time statistics” to focus high-crime neighborhoods. They also targeted illicit underage parties.
