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Attorney General Mike DeWine
Southwest Ohio
Violent Crimes Task Force Successful in First Year of Operation
(CINCINNATI) -- Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine, Hamilton County
Sheriff Jim Neil, Cincinnati Police Chief Jeffrey Blackwell, Woodlawn
Police Chief Jeffrey Witte, Lockland Police Chief Jim Toles, and the
FBI announced today the success of the Southwest Ohio Violent Crimes
Task Force following its first year in operation.
"The detectives assigned to this task force have been working covertly
throughout the past year to investigate violent crime in northern
Hamilton County," said Attorney General DeWine. "Investigators
have successfully taken a number of dangerous criminals into custody
over the past several months, and they will continue to aggressively
pursue those who threaten those living in area communities."
The Southwest Ohio Violent Crimes Task Force, which was formed in
September 2013, is part of the Ohio Attorney General's Ohio Organized
Crime Investigations Commission (OOCIC) and is comprised of local,
state, and federal authorities from the following agencies:
Hamilton County Sheriff's Office
Cincinnati Police Department
Woodlawn Police Department
Lockland Police Department
Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation
Federal Bureau of Investigation
Working as part of an OOCIC task force allows agencies to combine their
resources and work together across jurisdictional boundaries to
investigate criminal conduct.
“This task force embodies our philosophy of ‘Cooperation in Operation’
where we welcome opportunities to work together with other law
enforcement at every level to provide the very best public safety
possible for the citizens,” Sheriff Neil stated. “I’m proud that
extremely violent, dangerous suspects are off the streets and in jail
where they belong due to the joint efforts and aggressive policing by
this task force.”
In its first year of operation, task force members served 197 search
warrants, and their investigations have led to 119 indictments.
These investigations include ten homicide cases, three of which were
considered cold cases. The task force also uncovered a
murder-for-hire plot that led to the suspect, Kendall Flucas, being
sentenced to 20 years in prison.
While not a drug task force, the group has seized 406 grams of heroin,
10 grams of cocaine, and 31 pounds of marijuana as part of its
investigations. Members also assisted many agencies with
intelligence, surveillance, investigative expertise, jail access, and
technology.
"Crime knows no boundaries, which is why it is essential that law
enforcement agencies cooperate regionally to combat violent crime, and
this task force has been very successful in doing so," said Woodlawn
Police Chief Jeffrey Witte.
Lockland Police Chief Jim Toles added, "Task force members have been
working diligently throughout the past year to return the security of
our neighborhoods to law-abiding residents, ensuring a safe community
to live, work, and enjoy."
The Hamilton County Prosecutor's Office and United States Attorney for
the Southern District of Ohio are also involved in the task force to
prosecute defendants charged as part of task force investigations.
"The U.S. Attorney’s Office is pleased to be part of this cooperative
effort to reduce the levels of violent crime affecting our
neighborhoods," said Carter Stewart, United States Attorney for the
Southern District of Ohio. "By combining our resources and listening to
the communities' needs, we can work as partners to prevent violent
crime."
The Southwest Ohio Violent Crimes Task Force was recognized during the
Attorney General's Ohio Law Enforcement Conference awards ceremony last
month, receiving the Distinguished Law Enforcement Group Achievement
Award.
Established in 1986, the Ohio Organized Crime Investigations Commission
assists local law enforcement agencies in combating organized crime and
corrupt activities. The Commission is composed of members of the
law enforcement community and is chaired by the Ohio Attorney
General. In 2013, authorities working in OOCIC task forces
across the state seized more than $14 million worth of drugs and more
than $5 million in U.S. currency.
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