‘Operation Felon Sweep’ Arrests 500 Brevard Suspects
By Space Coast Daily // October 25, 2012
Collaborative Effort With Florida Task Force
BREVARD COUNTY, FLORIDA – The Brevard County Sheriff’s Office in partnership with The Florida Sheriffs Task Force has launched an initiative to remove felons from Florida’s streets.
Operation “Felon Sweep” is focused on removing violent felons, felons with outstanding warrants and sexual offenders and predators from Florida communities.
Brevard County Sheriff’s spokesman Major Vic DeSantis said the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office was proud to take an active role in this initiative and to lead the effort in locally.
Over a 22 day period between Sept. 28 and Oct. 19, deputies and agents of the sheriff’s office arrested 501 individuals on felony charges including the service of 275 felony warrants.
This agency-wide effort also included targeted enforcement initiatives by the Special Investigations Unit, the GAMEOVER Task Force and the Sexual Offender Registration and Tracking Unit.
“During compliance checks of sexual offenders and predators, 11 individuals were arrested for violations of their probation or for failing to comply with the stipulations of their release,” DeSantis said.
Brevard County Sheriff Jack Parker sid hias agency was happy to participate.
“We were proud that Brevard County Law Enforcement could play a role in this large scale operation,” Parker said. “Arresting more than 500 people in Brevard alone for felony crimes, many of which were dangerous and evading authorities, is a successful operation by any measure.”
The Florida Sheriffs initiated and coordinated this effort to make Florida’s streets a safer place for its citizens. The operation combined efforts from 44 separate Sheriff’s Offices throughout the State of Florida.
It resulted in 11,875 felony arrests and significant seizures including over more than 900 pounds of marijuana, 30 pounds of cocaine, and more than 6,000 prescription pills. Agencies across the state also seized more than $410,000 in illegal cash proceeds.
“Felonies are taken very seriously and we at the Florida Sheriffs Association are proud to lead this initiative to get criminals off the streets,” said FSA President, Sheriff Susan Benton. “The Florida Sheriffs Task Force will continue to work tirelessly to make Florida one of the safest states in the country.”
The Florida Sheriffs Task Force pools resources from the 67 Sheriffs’ Offices to address specific areas of concern. Past task forces have dealt with issues such as cyber sexual predators, prescription drug abuse and “deadbeat dads.”
The task force also is the point of contact for statewide initiatives, including helping to staff the State Emergency Operations Center and coordinating Sheriffs’ offices responding to storm-ravaged communities during hurricanes and other catastrophic disasters.
