* More on 'Operation Triple Threat'

Craig,

You should consider expanding your "Operation Triple Threat" entry to include this statement from Evanston Police Chief Eddington, which was posted on Evanston 8th Ward Alderman Ann Rainey's message board yesterday:

"OPERATION TRIPLE THREAT"

Operation Triple Threat was initiated on 1 March 07 after the Chicago Police Department's Narcotic & Gang Investigations Section (NAGIS) and the Evanston Police Department's Neighborhood Enforcement Team (NET) combined forces to combat an Open Air Drug Market that was operating on the Chicago/Evanston boarder. NAGIS and NET formulated a plan to infiltrate and dismantle this criminal organization.

Through intelligence gathering, and interviews at the start of this mission it was learned that a new faction of the Black P Stones Street Gang was responsible for selling Crack Cocaine in this area. This faction is known as the Insane Black Mafia, and has a membership of approximately 12 to 15 strong. This organization has been known to use, and threaten violence in the area in which they are active. Armed with this information, NAGIS and NET officers focused their energy on the area bounded by Howard on the North, Rogers on the South, Ridge on the West, and Clark on the East.

Undercover officers were deployed in the area and once they established themselves as regular customers, they were able to both, buy up (larger quantities) and introduce other undercover officers into this network.

Once these undercover officers established their street credibility they began to make contact with mid-level dealers. These dealers would supply the officers with their personal cellular telephone numbers in order that the undercover officers could contact them directly for the sole purpose of making future narcotics deals.

During the course of the investigation it became clear that some of the crack cocaine being distributed on the border of Chicago and Evanston was also being distributed by some of Evanston's most notorious street dealers. Acting on this information, the investigation moved further North into Evanston. Once again, undercover officers were deployed into the area and began making street corner buys of narcotics working their way up to mid-level dealers.

During this operation a total of 23 successful undercover buys were made, and 22 narcotics dealers and suppliers were identified. Nineteen arrest warrants were issued for persons who were identified in the delivery of narcotics to the undercover officers. Seizure warrants for four vehicles were also issued.

On the morning of 13 June 07 members of the Chicago Police Department's NAGIS unit and the Evanston Police Department's NET team began rounding up the people named in those arrest warrants. At this time 10 of the nineteen named suspects have been arrested. In the course of this round-up, at one suspect's residence, a substantial quantity of controlled substance was seized as well as several thousands of dollars in cash.

The dedication to duty displayed by the law enforcement officers and members of the States Attorney's office that worked this case demonstrates the level of effectiveness that can be achieved when the Law Enforcement community combines resources to combat a mutual threat to the safety of the communities they serve."

Just want to help you get as much accurate information out there as possible!

- "SouthEvanstonian"