Columbus police arrest dozens in latest 'Operation Unity' on Northeast, Near East sides

Columbus police completed an operation earlier this month aimed at using statistics to address the safety needs of the northeast part of the city, which resulted in firearms seizures and dozens of arrests.

On Aug. 3, Columbus police focused on the Linden, Mt. Vernon, Eastgate and Milo-Grogan neighborhoods for targeting violent offenders and seeking to recover firearms and confiscate illegal narcotics in the latest iteration of "Operation Unity." Columbus police have conducted "Operation Unity," which is aimed at targeting residents safety needs using statistics and data to determine hotspots, since 2021.

Some highlights of the results of the operation:

• 28 felony arrests of 43 total

• 11 illegal guns recovered

• 164 grams of cocaine

• 153 grams of fentanyl

• $7,137 in cash

Part of the effort is also speaking with community members in the neighborhoods where the operation is happening, to identify where other city resources can be allocated to "make the neighborhoods better, safer," Columbus police Deputy Chief Elrico Alli said.

The initiative uses police assigned to the zone as well as major-crime detectives, SWAT and other local and statewide law enforcement to assist.

Columbus Mayor Andrew Ginther said the city is focusing on getting guns off the streets. As of Thursday, Columbus has had 98 homicides. To date, Columbus has seized over 2,100 guns from the street, Ginther said. Police seized over 3,300 firearms in 2022, The Dispatch previously reported.

Ginther said the public has been critical in making the neighborhood-oriented Operation Unity a success over the years.

"We engage the community on the front end, one of the reasons we've been able to take so many violent criminals and guns off the street in the last few years," he said.

@Colebehr_report

Cbehrens@dispatch.com

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Columbus police arrest dozens, seize guns in latest 'Operation Unity'