Oakland Drug Sweep Aims "open-air drug markets"

[djsincere510]

Oakland Mayor Jerry Brown and police Chief Wayne Tucker said they hope a sweep of so-called "open-air drug markets" Thursday will result in 65 arrests and reduce violent crime in their city. Speaking at a news conference at the Eastmont Mall police substation on 73rd Avenue in East Oakland, Tucker said Thursday's operation is "the culmination of a multi-month, multi-agency investigation" aimed at shutting down drug dealers.

Brown said officers in the strategic area command unit "are going after drug dealers who are either the perpetrators or the victims of violence." Brown said police want to give drug dealers the message that "Oakland is not a place to do business."

Sgt. Mike Poirier said the unit would attempt to execute 65 felony arrest warrants today. He said 40 suspects have been indicted by an Alameda County grand jury and 25 suspects are the subject of regular arrest warrants. Capt. Dave Kozicki said police announced the drug sweep ahead of time because "every drug dealer should look over his shoulder and wonder if they sold drugs to an undercover police officer, especially in East Oakland."

Kozicki said police officers want to "give a message to drug dealers to turn their lives around and find something else to do beside crime." Lt. Freddie Hamilton said announcing the operation ahead of time will have "a psychological impact" on drug dealers and make many of them stop operating, at least temporarily.

Oakland has had 90 homicides so far this year, compared to 94 for all of 2005. Hamilton said he believes the drug sweep will make a dent in the city's homicide rate because "the majority of violent crime in Oakland is tied to the narcotics trade in some way."

City Councilman Larry Reid, whose East Oakland district is heavily affected by drug dealing and violent crime, said he believes the sweep will have a positive impact, at least in the short term. But Reid, who rode along with officers while they attempted to make arrests, said it's important for the police to follow up and continue to go after drug dealers aggressively.

He said his constituents "are tired of street corner drug dealing that's associated with violence."

 

[Poisonpen]

Too bad Mr. Brown is too shook to send any of his CRT boys or the Feds to raid those "special spots" in the Oakland Hills & Daly City. If street cats know when the shipment is coming in.. Law Enforcement knows too (NO Curtis Jackson)

 

[djsincere510]

OAKLAND — Marvin Morris was busted. He took one look at himself in a photograph selling crack a few months ago to an undercover officer and there was nothing he could do.
The 44-year-old man simply put his hands behind his back as he was arrested on a felony warrant at his apartment on 97th Avenue and B Street and then escorted into a police van.
That was the scene Thursday morning as the Oakland Police Department went on a sweep of suspects involved in open-air drug markets around East Oakland. The sweep was a culmination of a long-running investigation to shut down drug dealers and reduce violent crime in the city.
"Every drug dealer out there should be looking over their shoulder wondering if they sold to an undercover agent," said Oakland police Capt. Dave Kozicki. "This is a message to them to turn their lives around and find alternatives besides crime."
Sgt. Mike Poirier said the drug sweep was a success, with authorities arresting 30 suspects Thursday.
The overall investigation, however, includes 65 felony arrest warrants for suspects dealing in crack, ecstasy and marijuana. Poirier said 40 of those suspects have been indicted by the Alameda Grand Jury and 25 are the subjects of regular arrest warrants.
The drug sweep continues today and will help make a dentin the city's homicide rate since the majority of violent crime is linked in some way to the narcotics trade, authorities said.
In addition, authorities say drug users are committing most of the robberies as a way to support their habit. As crimes have escalated, there also has been an increase in turf battles and shootings.
There have been 90 homicides in Oakland so far this year, compared to a total of 94 in all of last year.
Neighbors flocked to their front yards and leaned out their windows to see the convoy of squad cars and an undercover van Thursday parked on their block near

International Boulevard. Many of them said they were not surprised by the operation and would like to see the police continue going after drug dealers in their neighborhood.
Although the police department conducts periodic drug sweeps in the city, the last one involving grand jury indictments was two years ago.
On Thursday there were eight targeted locations in East Oakland, including 83rd and International Boulevard, 97th Avenue and B Street and 99th and Sunnyside avenues.
None of the arrests in the sweep, however, was a part of the police department's criminal hit list of the top 100 "persons of interest," which focuses on ex-convicts who authorities believe are contributing to the violence in the city.
Johnny Armstrong, 34, was arrested Thursday while standing in front of a telephone booth on International Boulevard. Although he eventually was released, authorities had suspected Armstrong, a parolee, of being involved with selling drugs in the area.
Armstrong did not have any drugs on him at the time but acknowledged selling drugs in the past. He said the lack of job opportunities often turns people to drugs and violence.
"If I go door to door telling people that I'm a painter and I clean carpets, no one will give me work," said Armstrong. "The easiest thing I can do is sell drugs."
But for the last five months Oakland Mayor Jerry Brown has left in office he wants to send a clear message to drug dealers: "Oakland is not a place to do criminal business."

 

[SLICC RICC]

DAMN... SOME CRAZY SHIT...

 

[WHITE DEVIL]

My homeboy used to slang crys out there and almost never got fucked with.

The heroin spots...on them pay days they even had mofuckas literally lined up in a line that went around the building and half a block down the street.

OPD dont really wanna fuck wit it. Alotta talk, thats it.