Local Law Enforcement Teams Up for Two-Month Initiative
A quintet of local law enforcement agencies teamed up to crack down on drug use and sales in Putnam and Northern Westchester, police announced last week.
Earlier this year, according to a joint press release from the departments involved, representatives from the New York State Police, Putnam County Sheriff’s Office, the Putnam District Attorney’s Office and the Kent and Carmel police met at the sheriff’s office at the request of State Police Major Michael Kopy and Putnam County Sheriff Don Smith. The officials focused on sales of heroin in the two counties and developed a multi-agency task force to establish a plan to combat drug trafficking, police said.
In the past two months, officers and investigators from the departments have been working together to stop street-level drug sales and use, police said. They’ve been able to infiltrate the criminal enterprises, and identify drug dealers, leading to a slew of drug arrests.
In the two-month period, 56 people were arrested on a total of 87 felony, 40 misdemeanor and 12 violation charges, police said. In addition to drug-related charges, arrests were made for burglary, robbery, prescription forgery and larceny.
The initiative led to the seizure of more than $15,000 in cash and seven motor vehicles and the confiscation of large amounts of drugs including cocaine, heroin, marijuana, Oxycodone, Roxycodone, Suboxone, Xanax, steroids, MDMA (also known as molly), hallucinogenic mushrooms and PCP, police said, adding most of the drugs originated in New York City.
The operation uncovered a string of thefts from a home improvement store, leading to the arrest of a suspect, police said. In another case, information developed through the initiative led to the arrest of a suspected drug dealer in Westchester and the seizure of $18,000 in cash and a large quantity of cocaine, police said.
