INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – Police say a dozen people were arrested Thursday morning as 10 search warrants were served on the east side.
The busts, dubbed Operation SAFE, took place at several homes on the northeast and near northeast sides of town.
Not all the raids went as planned.
Knocking down the back door of one home on Dr. Andrew J Brown Avenue, FBI agents explained they had a warrant looking for illegal guns and drugs.
“I said you got the wrong place, because there ain’t no guns or drugs here. If there is, I don’t know about it, so have at it,” said Danny Day.
Danny claims he has only lived in the home for a month and he was not arrested following the search.
Just a few blocks away on east 35th Street, federal law enforcement broke a window serving a search warrant at another home.
At the same time, the FBI task force came to a third location near 42nd and Post.
Agents carried one box of evidence outside, while one man was handcuffed and taken into custody.
Late last month, the ATF also joined with the IMPD in a different series of busts that resulted in dozens of arrests and firearms seized in what was dubbed Operation Little Dipper.
City leaders say a federal crackdown on drug and gun trafficking will continue all year long.
“Collaboration is the key to reducing violent crime and people in our city deserve to feel safe in their neighborhoods,” said Indianapolis mayor Joe Hogsett.
Despite the confusion at his home and damage done to his door, Danny Day doesn’t fault the FBI and IMPD for trying to get guns and drugs off the street, because that could prevent violence in some of the city’s most troubled neighborhoods.
“They’re doing their job man. This is a bad neighborhood, I know that. You take that chance when you move into a bad neighborhood,” said Day.
During a press conference, police said that in addition to the arrests, they seized 70 grams of marijuana, four grams of cocaine, three guns and $10,000 in cash.
Police said they worked in conjunction with the neighborhoods, who had reached a “tipping point” when it comes to drugs and violence.
