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St. Paul police arrest dozens in drug sweep
For just over a year, the St. Paul Police Department's new drug and vice squad has been cracking down on drug dealers across the city. Last year, Operation Shamrock netted 60 dealers and focused on a bus stop near 5th and Minnesota. This year, the Narcotics Vice Response Team is doing it again, focusing on the city's problem areas. Officers have spent months building cases against alleged drug dealers and they invited KARE 11 exclusively to join them as they moved in for the arrests last week. There are many spectacular views of the St. Paul skyline. "It's a beautiful city," says Officer Steve Anderson of the Narcotics Vice Response Team. But members of the police department's elite drug and vice squad, like Sgt. Anderson, see something very different. Over the last three months, police surveillance video has captured alleged criminals selling drugs. Police say the buyers are often homeless, down and out or people in recovery. "There's a lot of people that have social service needs and they're being addressed downtown," says Sgt. Anderson. "Unfortunately some of those individuals have substance abuse problems and they're being preyed on." So police posed as a buyer. On the surveillance video, you can see the buyer in a wheelchair, but the man is not disabled. He's undercover, building cases against alleged criminals. The police department calls it Operation Gridlock. "So far, I've bought mostly crack cocaine. I bought some powder cocaine, marijuana's pretty big down there," says Officer Tony. We're not using his last name because he's undercover. "I'm in an electric wheelchair?and the reason we're doing that is because there are a lot of vulnerable adults down there that have gotten hooked on the stuff, so we're trying to fit in?We want to make St. Paul a place where anyone can enjoy. We don't need that kind of activity here." To drug dealers, Officer Tony is Roger, an addict getting treatment. He's stationed downtown, where police are tackling the open air drug market. This year, the highest number of police narcotics calls is from around the Dorothy Day center - 137 calls since January, according to police statistics. For three months, Officer Tony's been buying drugs and videotaping each transaction. With a list of a hundred suspects and warrants in hand, the NVRT is now ready to make some arrests. The team assembles in their training room to get briefed on the first bust by Sgt. Anderson. Tony sets up buys with dealers who now trust him. The team will back him up. "Greazy is supposed to show up somewhere in the area of Exchange here," says Sgt. Anderson, pointing to a map of downtown St. Paul. Police say their first suspect is a crack dealer. Officer Tony knows him well. "Eight buys I've made from him," says Tony. Tonight, the team is in place when Greazy pulls up, almost exactly where he told Officer Tony he would be. "You guys will take the back of the vehicle. You will take the front," Sgt. Anderson instructs members of the team. Out on the street, Tony and the alleged dealer make an exchange and the officers move in, arresting Greazy and his girlfriend. They have already been charged with selling narcotics. "It's real shocking right now man," says Greazy from the back of a police squad car. "He is number one on the Gridlock roster for today, but there's many more to come," says Sgt. Anderson as the arrest sweep continues. After the first arrest, Tony then sets up the next deal. A second undercover, Officer Mike keeps watch in a nearby surveillance vehicle. "Primary job here is to keep eyes on our officer out there," says Officer Mike. "Mario's bringing 200 dollars worth of crack and Play's bringing 100 dollars worth of weed," says Officer Tony to the rest of the team. Alleged dealer 'Play' arrives first, selling officer Tony a bag of marijuana. "OK, he's making a hand to hand right now with the weed. Deal's done?move in move in move in," Officer Mike describes what he sees to NVRT members, who are not close enough to see. Two people are arrested in this case, just minutes before the next alleged dealer shows up. Officer Tony next purchases $200 in crack from an alleged gang member in a van. The team stops the van and finds five other alleged gang members inside. They are all placed under arrest. They'll all go to jail tonight. Police hope that's where they'll stay. "The drug dealers know that we're not going to let them take over, by no means are they, but we're not even going to let them get a foothold," says Sgt. Anderson. "NVRT will be around the corner waiting for them." Police say this year the list of suspects is different this year in Operation Gridlock, than it was in last year's Operation Shamrock, leading them to believe those dealers from last year are gone. Unfortunately new ones have moved in, but police say the goal of Gridlock is to get them out of here too. And downtown St. Paul is only the first target area this year. Over the next several weeks undercover officers will be working cases in three or four other neighborhoods. They have another 60 suspects they want to arrest.
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