Well it’s about time that the police and Mr. Adkins decided to take action in these areas of our city….Thank You

But now City Hall my question is…..Why did it take you 4 years?
However before we pat them on the back for a job well done..please read the Middletown USA blog from August 10, 2010
http://www.middletownusa.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=3223&title=target-revitalization-neighborhoods

Also notice that Mr. Adkins did not use the HUD funding in these areas of greatest need, the same areas with the greatest number of Section 8 Housing. Four years later and we can now see that this was another blatant failure of City Hall. 

Posted: 5:36 p.m.Monday, Dec. 8, 2014

Police task force making city ‘less desirablefor the less desirable’

By Ed Richter

Staff Writer

MIDDLETOWN — 

    The latest crime sweep by Middletown’s special police task force in theSherman Park/Crawford Streetarea resulted in 19 felony arrests for drugs and 11 others for variousmisdemeanors, according to police officials.

    The Special Operations Unit also served 17bench warrants, issued nine criminal summonses and 17 misdemeanor citations andmade 31 traffic stops. The task force did saturation patrols in theneighborhood between Sept. 22 and Nov. 1 with a focus on drug enforcement.

    City officials hope the task force’s crimecrackdown will make Middletown“less desirable for the less desirable” while improving quality of life andeliminating nuisances.

    Inaddition to patrolling the Sherman Park/Crawford Street area, the task force returnedto the Church Streetarea — where they have previously conducted a crime sweep — to execute a searchwarrant in the 1700 block of Columbia Avenue. Sgt. David Birk of the Special OperationsUnit said charges are pending on that search.

    “They (the task forces) are very effectiveand provide an instant impact for residents,” Birk said. “But task forces haveto be flexible to go to areas where the stats takes us to.”

Buteven when there is a focused enforcement effort in one neighborhood, Birk saidit only displaces the offenders to another area. He said there were 15 peoplearrested or issued summonses during this task force effort who were repeatoffenders such as for drugs or prostitution.

    “It’s a constant battle, but we’re doingthe best we can with what we have now,” he said.

    Birk said a number of the arrests made werethe result of residents calling in anonymous tips to the police hotline.

    “I know a lot of them (residents) arethankful,” he said. “The hotline takes us to various locations.”

    During the task force effort, Middletownpolice and the Ohio Highway Patrol teamed up Oct. 9-11 for a three-daysaturation enforcement to combat drug and traffic offenses that made 220traffic stops and contacts and netted 65 arrests and 155 warnings in theSherman Park and Oakland Park areas. The effort was funded through an overtimegrant from the state and supplemented the task force effort that was already inoperation.

    Between July 28 and Sept. 16, policefocused on the Church Streetarea where 85 charges, including 12 felony arrests, were made against 85people, according to police. During that effort, one person who was arrestedcalled that area “the skillet” because of the focused enforcement.

    Police ask residents who see drug activityor a crime to call the Police Tip Hotline at 513-425-7749 or police dispatch at513-425-7700.