East Village’s top neighborhood activist expressed cautious optimism and some relief after the results of San Diego law enforcement’s “Operation Street Sweeper.”
The two-month operation which concluded February 9 was aimed at dismantling open-air drug markets in downtown’s East Village. San Diego County District Attorney Summer Stephan announced a grand jury handed down 23 indictments against 34 defendants openly selling fentanyl, meth and crack cocaine.
East Village Doers founder Cindy Cook has been documenting open drug deals in the community for months. She’s been pleading for action.
“This result is really refreshing,” Cook said. “The general consensus in the area is that we feel heard. We also know there is still a lot more work to do.”
As part of her quest to get help in cleaning up her neighborhood, Cook says she has lookouts posted all over the city.
The day after Operation Street Sweeper was announced, Cook told The San Diego Sun her neighbor was approached at 6 a.m. by an individual who asked for directions to the San Diego Central Library for the purpose of buying drugs.
“The drug deals are still going on,” she said. “Now the dealers are doing quicker handoffs.”
The East Village community deserves to be safe, DA Stephan said.
“This operation reflects a coordinated, proactive law enforcement response to the community we serve, with the goal of improving the quality of life in a downtown area that continues to face public safety challenges,” she said.
The operation was a collaborative effort involving San Diego Police, Homeland Security Investigations Fentanyl Abatement Suppression Team (HSI FAST), with additional support from the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
San Diego Police Chief Scott Wahl acknowledged this had been an ongoing issue.
“The residents of East Village have long asked for more enforcement on drug-related offenses and Operation Street Sweeper did just that,” Wahl said. “With this operation, we targeted open drug use and narcotic sales occurring in East Village, something children and families walked by every day.”
Cook reiterated that this operation was a great step forward but the fight has not yet been won.
“We know the police officers want to get drug dealers off the streets,” Cook said. “We’re glad to get support now from the DA’s office. I hope this is the beginning and not the end of these kinds of efforts.”
DA Stephan told The Sun East Village deserves continued monitoring.
“That community has suffered for a long time and that’s unacceptable,” she said. “SDPD is committed to keeping up on this effort. And my office stands ready to prosecute all probable cases.”
Stephan added that drug dealers in the area are taking advantage of homeless individuals.
“We’re seeing a high rate of overdoses and many of the cases are among the homeless,” she said. “Drug dealers are preying on the mental issues and addiction in that community.” SDSun
