At a news conference in Harrisburg Monday–state Attorney General Kathleen Kane announced that the task force she created to infuse resources into communities that are overrun with violent, drug-related crime has again punched a hole in drug trafficking and criminal activity, this time in the Commonwealth’s capital city.
The Mobile Street Crimes Unit's deployment to Harrisburg yielded 239 arrests including drug dealers, and violent and repeat offenders; $300,000 worth of heroin that is now off the streets; and the identification of seven gangs and seven drug trafficking organizations operating in the region.
"Because of the hard work of the brave men and women in the OAG's Mobile Street Crimes Unit and strong support from local communities, we have built a successful and effective law enforcement tactical force for combating criminal gang and drug operations in the Commonwealth," said Attorney General Kane.
She thanked Dauphin County District Attorney Ed Marsico, Harrisburg Mayor Eric Papenfuse and Harrisburg Chief of Police Thomas Carter for their support, as well as a bipartisan group of legislators who attended today's press conference as champions of the Mobile Street Crimes Unit.
In the last two weeks a dozen local law enforcement agencies dispatched 150 agents and officers for a week-long sweep to serve arrest warrants mostly in Harrisburg for a variety of crimes, with the Mobile Street Crimes Unit capturing more than half of the total arrests.
Kane said the unit began working with the Harrisburg Police Department in April to build investigations and target trouble spots, where open-air drug deals and violent confrontations are an everyday occurrence that threatens public safety and the quality of life.
By sharing resources and cross-designating agents and attorneys between the Attorney General's office and local law enforcement, the Mobile Street Crimes Unit began to piece together networks of criminals trafficking heroin, cocaine and marijuana, and identified nuisance bars and businesses that foster criminal activity.
The intelligence and operational framework the Unit established during its Harrisburg deployment will remain in the hands of District Attorney Marsico and Mayor Papenfuse, with whom the Unit will continue to work in the months ahead to ensure the safety of Harrisburg residents and successful prosecutions of those arrested.
"We are thankful for the assistance from the Office of Attorney General in combating illegal drug trafficking in Harrisburg. This team effort to combat the trafficking of dangerous drugs will help protect our community as a whole and our children in particular," said District Attorney Ed Marsico.
"The City of Harrisburg is grateful for the strong cooperation and support it has received from the Attorney General and law enforcement professionals throughout our region. This operation has required months of planning and will have a dramatic impact on public safety in our city. Criminals have been arrested, illegal guns have been confiscated and drugs have been taken off our streets. This is just the beginning of an intensive and long-term campaign to make Harrisburg a safer place for residents and visitors, alike," said Mayor Papenfuse.
Attorney General Kane, with the help of the state Legislature, launched the Commonwealth's first ever Mobile Street Crimes Unit in 2013 to combat gang-related violence and drug trafficking, which plague communities across the state and pose serious threats to public safety. The Unit is tasked not only with fighting drug- and gang-related activity, but also with fostering cooperation and improving coordination among local, state and federal law enforcement.
The Unit's maiden deployment to Hazleton, Luzerne County, which concluded in February, resulted in more than 100 arrests and the seizure of approximately 35,000 packets of heroin.
Individuals who have witnessed a drug deal in their neighborhood or suspect illegal drug activity where they live or work can send an anonymous tip to the Office of Attorney General by texting PADRUGS + YOUR TIP to 847411. Tips can also be submitted electronically here.
