June 28 (UPI) — Police in Warren, Mich., arrested more than 400 people in what officials call “the largest directed enforcement operation in department history,” Warren Police Commissioner Bill Dwyer confirmed on Wednesday.
Officers made 442 arrests over the four-week enforcement blitz, dubbed Operation P.A.C.T. or Preventing Acts of Community Tragedy.
The arrests resulted in 718 charges, including 393 felonies between May 29 and June 23.
Police seized 68 firearms and 73 vehicles, recovering 24 stolen vehicles and issuing 2,101 citations.
“I felt it important that the department take … proactive enforcement action at the start of summer so that the community understands that the Warren Police Department will not tolerate violent crime, gun crimes or property crimes,” Dwyer said during a news conference on Wednesday.
“In early May, I directed officers to conduct this operation starting as the summer months approached. The goal of this four-week directed enforcement operation was for officers to conduct a sweep of all areas of the city and focus on those crimes which impact the community’s sense of safety, security and overall well-being.”
The focus of the enforcement campaign in the city of 138,000 covered violent crime, property crime and traffic enforcement.
Those arrested included individuals from 45 cities in Michigan, as well as Ohio and Illinois. Arrests included 17 juveniles younger than 18.
Charges included sexual assault, assault with intent to murder, armed robbery, home invasion and gun offenses.