SPD looks to send message with undercover drug operation

As part of a larger initiative to crack down on street-level drug dealers, the Sarasota Police Department announced a nearly yearlong undercover operation that culminated in 15 arrests. SPD Chief Bernadette DiPino said the latest arrests send a message to drug dealers that they will be stopped.

“Beware, we are coming after you, and we’re not going to stop until we keep our streets clean,” DiPino said.

Operation Corner Stone was conducted by undercover detectives buying drugs  in high-crime areas across the city.  Started in January, the initiative resulted in 15 arrests.

Four more suspects sold drugs to undercover officers but got away before they could be arrested. Combined, the group has 559 previous felony arrests and 174 felony convictions.

By curbing these open-air drug markets, the SPD said it can better prevent other serious crimes. Though crackdowns like Operation Corner Stone cause temporary disruption in the drug market, DiPino said sales tend to pick back up.

To combat this, the SPD is using efforts like the recent operation as part of a larger strategy called the Drug Market Intervention program.  Following the lead of more than a dozen other cities with similar programs, Sarasota’s DMI approach looks to rehabilitate drug dealers to prevent them from selling again.

The city’s DMI program allows offenders with non-violent criminal pasts to avoid jail time and instead enter a rehabilitation program.  One individual who sold drugs to police officers during Operation Corner Stone was eligible for DMI deferment.

The rest of those identified in the operation were not. To keep them off the streets, Bernadette said the SPD would work with the legal system to push for the most severe penalties possible for those convicted.

“I think you’ll see a number of these individuals going away for a long time,” DiPino said.