Traffic-stop blitz yields arrests

Chief Derrick Diggs says Toledo police focused on narcotics and human trafficking cases. Enlarge

A two-day, multiagency crackdown on crime in the Toledo metropolitan area resulted in a long list of arrests and seizures and had a calming effect on Toledo, officials said Friday.

"I can tell you it's been very quiet on the streets of the city of Toledo in the last couple days," said Toledo police Chief Derrick Diggs. "I don't think we've had a shooting in the last couple days so it had a strong impact -- a very strong impact."

At a news conference outside Government Center Friday, Staff Lt. John Altman of the Ohio Highway Patrol said "Operation Shield," as the effort was dubbed, involved traffic stops in and around Toledo that in many cases led to useful investigatory information.

"The overall mission of the last few days was intelligence-led policing with a focus on criminal interdiction through strict traffic enforcement," he said. "Our officers conducted traffic stops and then attempted to develop intelligence out of those traffic stops that was provided to plainclothes detectives."

From 11 a.m. Wednesday until 3 a.m. Friday, officers from 16 agencies stopped 665 vehicles; issued 205 citations; made 47 misdemeanor drug arrests, 49 felony drug arrests and 16 impaired driver arrests; seized suspected marijuana, prescription pills, liquid codeine, heroin, and crack cocaine, and recovered four stolen cars and eight guns.

Of note, Lieutenant Altman said, Lake Township Police seized $57,000 cash in one traffic stop Thursday, and the Ohio Highway Patrol recovered more than a pound of suspected hydroponic marijuana in another stop.

Chief Diggs said Toledo police focused on narcotics interdiction, recovering stolen vehicles, and human trafficking cases. "The message we want to put out there is that we'll be doing these cooperative efforts in the future," the chief said.

"We're glad the state patrol is willing to come into the city and work with us on our law enforcement problems."

Additional agencies that took part in the effort were the FBI; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; the Drug Enforcement Agency; U.S. Customs Border Patrol; Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles; Ohio Bureau of Criminal Identification and Investigation; Adult Parole Authority; Wood County Sheriff's Office, and police departments from Perrysburg Township, Northwood, Rossford, Oregon, and Sylvania.