Detroit police arrest 140 in two days during winter warrant sweep

DETROIT (FOX 2) - Two hundred officers flooded the streets this week, from sun up to sundown, for a two-day winter warrant sweep in Detroit.

"It was a deliberate attempt during the holiday season. We do see a spike in crime of different categories," said Commander Anthony O’Rourke with Detroit police. "This warrant sweep was very specific to gangs and gang members and any warrants they had, whether it be felonies or misdemeanors."

Why did Detroit police perform the warrant sweep? 

Commander O’Rourke, who is the head of the Detroit police Organized Crimes Unit, says they cleaned up, with the numbers to back it up. 140 people were arrested in 48 hours, many with gang ties. Of those, 80 people had outstanding felony warrants, for everything from robbery to gun crimes.

They had a most wanted list, but some of these arrests opened up a treasure trove of other crimes.

"You think it’s just a narcotics house, and then you go in there and then you find stolen guns and then obviously that can lead you in a different direction that’s connected to other crimes," said O’Rourke.

Not only was this about getting alleged violent offenders off the street and into the system, but getting guns out of the wrong hands was a big part of it too. 

What was recovered by police during the sweep? 

More than 30 firearms were seized, now in evidence.

"See where they originated from, whose hands were they supposed to be in, whose were they not supposed to be in, are they connected to other crimes," said O’Rourke.

Guns and drugs go together, well, almost always, and that’s what they found during this sweep too.

"Significant amounts of marijuana, heroin, cocaine, fentanyl, a large amount of pills," O’Rourke said. "It’s great when we can get that particular drug off the streets because of the lethality of it."

With fentanyl obviously being the most coveted to collect out of them all. A coordinated effort with state and federal agencies, months in the making. Commander O’Rourke says they’re coming to a neighborhood near you.

"Obviously, we will not let the bad guys know our schedule when we do these, but it will be happening on a regular basis," said O’Rourke.