Lisa E. Crowley
BrocktonPost
BROCKTON--Brockton Police and State Police arrested 16 people during a drug sweep that began early this morning following investigations of daily drug dealing on the city's streets.
Police Chief William Conlon said law enforcement officials obtained 25 search warrants for the arrest of alleged low-level drug dealers and searched numerous homes across the city in a raid that happens about twice a year.
"We found 23 of the 25," Conlon said.
He said 16 men and women were arrested and arraigned in Brockton District Court throughout the morning and afternoon.
He said charges range from conspiracy to violate drug laws, unlawful possession and distribution of drugs, and selling drugs within a school or park.
All of the charges are felonies, Conlon said, and the drugs involved are mostly crack and cocaine.
He said the initiative is a regular law enforcement effort and based on "hand-to-hand" purchases from the dealers to undercover Brockton or State Police.
He said the sweep, dubbed "Operation Street Sweeper" is one way to get low-level dealers off the streets and although most will spend a few months to a year in jail and eventually return to the streets, each offense increases the jail time of the next offense.
Police did not immediately arrest those who had made the purchases because it would have tipped off other dealers that a sweep was in the works.
Investigators, Conlon said, are still looking for two of the suspects who were not at the addresses police searched.
The remaining seven who were not arrested have been or will be issued a summons for their appearance in court because they either were in jail for some other offense, in rehab, or detox, Conlon said.
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