The Delaware State Police in a collaborative effort with the Sussex Governor’s Task Force (GTF), Sussex Drug Unit (SDU), supplemented by Troopers from Troop 5 and Troop 7, Probation and Parole Officers and the Special Operations Response Team (SORT) netted multiple arrests in the Coverdale Crossroads Community area of Bridgeville, according to Public Information Officer, Master Corporal Melissa Jaffe.
Jaffe said the on-going initiative began on January 28, 2019. This initiative was in response to an increase in gun violence and reported shooting incidents in the Coverdale Crossroads Community area. The area is a well-known open-air drug market and had experienced three reported shooting incidents between January 14 and January 20, 2019. To date, a total of 94 individuals have been arrested. There were a total of 60 Felony charges, 165 Misdemeanor charges, 167 Traffic charges, and 44 court capiases cleared.
As a result of this operation a total of seven firearms, 40.75 grams of cocaine, 22.86 grams of heroin, and 217 grams of marijuana were seized. Also recovered during this initiative were the following:
1 Suboxone tablet
6 Schedule III pills
2.67 grams of methamphetamine
5 Topiramate (100 mg pills)
4 Tramodol Hydrochloride (50 mg pills)
9 Oxycodone pills
1 Suboxone strip
6.5 MDMA pills
The success of this operation goes beyond proactive crime enforcement. Reducing the gun violence and drug activity positively affects the daily lives of residents living in the Coverdale Crossroads Community area, said Jaffe. The Delaware State Police are working proactively with several community groups to improve their quality of life, added Jaffe.
