Akron Police Chief James Nice says this is just round one of the anti-violence unit's efforts to combat crime in the city, as the search for suspects on the loose will continue into the summer months.
"In our very first strike in less than a month, I think it's indicative that it's working," Nice said.
During the three-day initiative last week, officials recovered the following:
- 27 guns
- 40 grams of heroin
- 1,632 grams of marijuana
- $23,000 in cash
SWAT teams from the Akron Police Department, Summit County Sheriff's Office, FBI and Metro SWAT collaborated to execute search warrants on streets off of Copley Road in West Akron near Storer and Noah Avenues.
They visited close to 250 homes and businesses in the area to gather tips and details toward their investigations.
One of the main focuses Nice emphasized to the anti-violence bureau is intelligence gathering.
"That focus of that gathering of intelligence is really in two areas; violent crime and weapon possession," Nice said.
Nice says he wants to hammer down on crime as much as he possibly can.
"We're going to continue to hit like this in the city," he said. "So, if you're inclined to want to commit violence crime, carry firearms and do things like that, we're coming with strike two, strike three and it's not going to stop-- it's not going to stop while I'm the chief of police," he said.
The unit's progress was praised by Akron Mayor Don Plusquellic, but he was quick to remind residents to do their part to keep the streets safe.
"If you care about people in your neighborhood, whoever that is ... step up and help the police protect the other residents to make sure it doesn't happen again," Plusquellic said.
Federal dollars will be used by the police department during the summer months to step-up the level of enforcement according to Plusquellic.
The West side isn't the only place law enforcement officers are eyeing. Nice said the aren't losing focus of crimes and pending cases on the city's East side, on streets including Cole Avenue, Arlington Road and Lover's Lane.
