Police Tout Success Of 'Operation Fair Warning' 7.5.11

WRTV

INDIANAPOLIS -- Indianapolis police and neighbors are touting a drop in crime as part of Operation Fair Warning, an initiative targeting open-air drug dealing on the city's north side.
The monthlong effort, which ended last week, put a large number of officers in the Mapleton-Fall Creek neighborhood, bounded by Fall Creek Parkway on the south, 34th Street on the north, College Avenue on the east and Central Avenue to the west, 6News' Jack Rinehart reported.
The program had at least 50 plainclothes officers conducting intelligence gathering, investigative traffic stops and even knocking on the doors of known offenders.
"We went up to our known criminal element and told them, 'We know who you are, we know what you're doing, and together, collectively, as a community, police and citizens, we're not tolerating it anymore," said Lt. Rick Snyder, the architect of Operation Fair Warning.
In addition to a large uniformed presence, police targeted the area for warrant sweeps and checks on registered sex offenders and involved the Health Department in order to deal with environmental problems.
The initiative resulted in 50 arrests, the seizures of 10 guns and $60,000 in suspected drug money.
Mapleton-Fall Creek residents said they've also noticed more children on the playground and new construction and reinvestment in the neighborhood.
"I think the presence of the police has made the neighborhood a lot safer. Hopefully that will continue," said resident Gary Rudgers.
"You know, I've dodged bullets in here, and I've run and stayed in the house and hit the floor or go to the basement," said resident Delores Foster. "It's going to be OK. It's going to be OK."
The goal of the push is to create a template that the rest of the department can use to address crime problems with limited resources.

http://www.theindychannel.com/news/28454396/detail.html