50-plus arrested during Friday police sweep

More than 50 people were arrested Friday as part of a joint police operation between Port Huron police officers and Michigan State Police troopers.

Lt. Thomas Kish, post commander for the MSP Lapeer Post, said officers and troopers made 38 misdemeanor arrests, 17 fugitive arrests, six felony arrests and one drunken driving arrest in a six-hour sweep Friday.

Michael Reaves, director of the Port Huron Department of Public Safety, said the effort was part of a program called Data Driven Approach to Crime and Traffic Suppression.

Reaves said the program focuses on areas prone to street crimes, open-air drug dealings, assault crimes, drunken drivers, felony warrants and fugitives.

“We made the effort to take the fight right to the streets and clean up some of these areas,” Reaves said.

“We want the community to know we’re out in the neighborhoods. We’re making a strong statement here.”

Kish and Reaves said the sweep — which included officers, troopers, police dogs and a Michigan State Police helicopter — was a targeted violent crime suppression effort.

“We’re working in areas where there are known violent crimes occurring and we’re looking for fugitives who are wanted for known violent crimes,” Kish said.

Kish said the state police helicopter used a spotlight to illuminate officers who were making traffic stops Friday. He said the “robust” police presence was similar to assistance state police provide to Flint, Saginaw and Detroit through the state’s Secure Cities Partnership.

“Having the helicopter support with the additional illumination adds a level of safety,” Kish said.

“It allows us to quickly address things like a fleeing vehicle or fleeing persons. It’s a huge officer safety enhancement to our ground operations.”

Reaves and Kish said state police and Port Huron police will have future operations similar to Friday’s sweep throughout the spring and summer.

“We’ll be doing more of these operations, as we have in the past three years,” Reaves said. “We will not announce the when, the where — that’s counterproductive.

“We’re looking for wanted subjects, open-air drug dealings. We’re not going to let the bad guys know ahead of time.”

Chris Perry, of Port Huron, heard about the increased police presence after the six-hour sweep had finished. He said he didn’t have a problem with the increased presence.

“If it cleans up the riff-raff, I’m all for it,” Perry said.

Michele Winfield felt the same way.

“Any time you have police around more, I think it’s better,” the Port Huron woman said. “That stops crime, if they know they’re around.”

Kish said officers and troopers made a total of 154 traffic stops. Of those traffic stops, 10 people were arrested for suspended driver’s licenses and 137 verbal warnings were given.

Troopers and officers also investigated 66 individuals.

“We’re going in to try and make these communities safer,” Kish said.

“This is what the state police do. We work in support of our partners.”

No officers or troopers were injured during the police operation Friday.

Contact Beth LeBlanc at (810) 989-6259 or eleblanc@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter @THBethLeBlanc.