Police in Tampa say that after a three-month-long operation, they have arrested 55 people, saying that those who were handcuffed are “chronic offenders.”
On Feb. 5, the Tampa Police Department announced the results of its months-long initiative called “Operation: Safer Streets.”
“Operation: Safer Streets shifted focus beyond standard narcotics enforcement to prioritize the apprehension of chronic offenders, leading to the recovery of a firearm, fentanyl, cocaine, and other illegal narcotics,” police said in a statement.
Officers in Tampa say that by identifying and arresting people with violent criminal backgrounds, they are addressing what they say are the primary drivers that impact quality of life in the city’s neighborhoods.
“It’s traumatic for families to see drugs sold in their parks and neighborhoods,” Tampa Police Department Chief Lee Bercaw said. “The result of this operation and arrests of these 55 drug dealers clearly disrupted the availability of illegal narcotics in our community. Through our strong partnerships, we are demonstrating our shared commitment to making our city safer for everyone, one block at a time.”
During the operation, Tampa officers partnered with the Drug Enforcement Administration, the State Attorney’s Office and the U.S. Attorney’s Office Middle District of Florida.
“Operation Safe Streets was a joint collaboration between Tampa Police Department and Drug Enforcement Administration,” Todd Cavaliere said. Cavaliere is a DEA Tampa District Office Assistant Special Agent. “The goal was to clean up Tampa streets and be free from drug distribution and violence that inevitably accompanies drug markets.”
The investigation is still active and officers said that they expect additional arrests. The operation followed the framework of 2022 “Operation Overdrive,” which led to the arrest of over a dozen alleged drug traffickers.