COLUMBUS, Ohio — The Whitehall Division of Police brought in extra officers to search out drug sales and make arrests during Thursday night's crime blitz.
During the blitz, Whitehall police say a man showed up at his ex-girlfriend's house with a gun and threatened to shoot her and any police officer who arrived. Police say, because of the increased number of officers, they were able to respond right away.
“The male happened to be outside making a countdown until he was going to shoot the gun off. We had so many officers in the area, that they were there within seconds. We prevented a tragedy from possibly occurring in the city,” said Whitehall Police Sergeant Jonathan Earl.
The suspect jumped in his car and took off when police arrived. After about 2 miles, Whitehall police were able to arrest him and confiscate a gun.
He is legally not allowed to have a gun.
Police say even though they were focused on drugs, they see other crimes linked to people using them.
“By focusing primarily on drugs you are going to lower your crime rate. Most of these crimes that are happening or violent crimes are going to come back to drugs. Theft crimes are going to come back to drugs,” Earl explained.
In total, officers made 20 arrests for drugs, seizing meth, cocaine and fentanyl.
“The type of drugs we are seeing a lot more frequently on the street, we are seeing a lot of fentanyl and marijuana usage, but we are also seeing an increase in meth,” Earl said.
Earl argues the impact these arrests will have on all crimes is why his officers continue to conduct these blitzes.
“For a good five years now it has made a positive impact on the city overall,” he said.
10TV checked in with other police departments in central Ohio, and they also say they have seen an increase in meth, though fentanyl is still most common.