Illegal narcotics sales and group violence are interconnected, and Operation: Elm Sweep intends to interrupt the violence by targeting the drug dealers and removing them from our communities. Working together with our law enforcement partners, Yonkers Police investigators secured County Court indictments against the thirteen adult defendants for Criminal Sale of a Controlled Substance 3’, a Class B Felony in the New York State Penal Law; the undisclosed youth will be adjudicated in the Youth Part of Criminal Court.
“Thank you to the men and women of the Yonkers Police Department for their unwavering commitment to protecting the quality of life for all in our neighborhoods,” said Mayor Mike Spano. “This joint operation should send a clear message to those seeking to commit crimes of any kind in our city – we will find you and ensure you are prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. The vast majority of people in Yonkers are good, honest, hardworking individuals who want no part in the senseless violence these men seek to cause in our communities, and it will not be tolerated.”
Commissioner Chris Sapienza stated, “Our Nodine Hill residents deserve the safety, security, and high standards of quality-of-life that is expected of a first-class city like Yonkers, and our Police Department is committed to providing and safeguarding those values. By removing these bad actors from our community, we are putting an end to the violence that accompanies them. I applaud the efforts of our Yonkers Police Narcotics Unit for spearheading this investigation and would like to thank our partners in the Westchester County Police Department and Westchester DA’s Office for their invaluable assistance.”
Westchester County Department of Public Safety Acting Commissioner Terrance Raynor stated, “I commend the members of the Yonkers Police Department, Westchester County Police and Westchester County District Attorney’s Office for their great work during this complex and dangerous investigation. The collaboration and partnership among these agencies has helped restore safety and security to the neighborhood where this drug trafficking and related violence was occurring. I would particularly like to acknowledge the undercover officers assigned to this investigation. Because of the nature of their work, they cannot be here to be acknowledged in person, but investigations like this one are not possible without their courage and dedication.”