Why law enforcement believes 'operation on steroids' that led to 258 arrests will increase safety in Topeka
Rafael Garcia
Local law enforcement hasn't conducted an operation the size of Operation Frontier Justice in some time, and Shawnee County Sheriff Brian Hill said he expects the mid-March law enforcement actions will be effective in fighting violent crime.
Local, state and federal law enforcement officials announced the results of Operation Frontier Justice — a multi-agency collaboration to address an uptick in Topeka drug-related and violent crime that, over 10 days, led to the arrest of more than 250 people.
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"In early stages of March this year, brave men and women, wearing all kinds of uniforms and law enforcement attire, got together with a singular mission: to make the capital city a safer place to live, work and play," said Topeka Police Department interim Chief Bryan Wheeles. "This was a tremendous operation, and I’m grateful to all of the leaders of all of the agencies, because I know the challenges of resources right now.
"I’m very humbled and honored that they used those resources in this collaborative effort in my city."
Hill, who previously worked for the Topeka Police Department for 26 years, said the city police department had years ago conducted similar operations, although those were led in-house and typically responded to upticks in crime trends in Topeka.
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"This is that operation on steroids," Hill said, comparing Operation Frontier Justice to those previous efforts. "We bring in the federal and state partners with the additional resources to allow us to address this in a much more efficient manner."
The multiagency effort, led by the U.S. Marshals Service, led to 138 felony arrests at the local, state and federal levels, 120 misdemeanor arrests and the seizure of 24 firearms, $25,000 in U.S. currency and 19 kilograms of narcotics — including marijuana, cocaine, meth and heroin.
U.S. Marshal for the District of Kansas Ron Miller, himself a former Topeka Police Department chief, said the operation followed a rigorous process, starting with funding from the federal legislative level, warrant approval from the judicial branch's U.S. Department of Justice and execution by the executive branch.
"These are not street sweeps, or warrant round-ups," he said. "These are targeted operations, targeting organized crime and gangs."
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U.S. Sen. Jerry Moran, the ranking Republican and former chairman of the U.S. Senate subcommittee that appropriates funds for the Department of Justice, said the committee has traditionally looked for ways to increase cooperation between federal law enforcement and state and local agencies.
He said Operation Frontier Justice was an excellent example of the way that collaboration could happen. But it also points too the fact crime is a significant issue for most Kansas communities, he said.
"It’s true in Shawnee County. It’s true in Johnson County, and it’s true in Sedgwick County, but it’s true across our state," Moran said. "This is not just an urban issue. These programs are focused on getting drugs, guns and violent criminals off the streets and the citizens of this community much safer."
In any case, Hill said the operation should lead to an increased feeling of safety particularly among Shawnee County residents.
"The impact of this, when I talked about furthering investigations, every arrest had a debriefing, criminal intel was developed out of that, so there are active investigations going into all facets from narcotics to burglary rings to violent crime — all kinds of things in Shawnee County," Hill said. "We’ll continue to work hard into those venues."
Shawnee County District Attorney Mike Kagay said Monday was a great day for the law enforcement agencies and the communities they serve.
He said the operation served as a warning for anyone engaging in crime.
"Let this serve as notice to any who engage in violence or unlawful behavior in our community," Kagay said. "We will use all of our resources, and we will engage every partnership, and we will bring the full weight of the law to hold you accountable for your actions."