Sheriff Rochelle Bilal and the Office of the Philadelphia Sheriff, in partnership with the Philadelphia Police Department, Chester County Sheriff’s Office, Federal Bureau of Investigation (Violent Crime Task Force), Bucks County Sheriff’s Office, Delaware County Sheriff’s Office, the Bureau of Narcotics Investigation, the Philadelphia Juvenile Probation and Parole, and the Pennsylvania State Police, held a press conference on July 30 announcing the results of “Operation Priority Takedown,” a sweep concentrating on perpetrators of violent crime and perpetrators with outstanding warrants and a history of gun charges.
Thirty-seven fugitives were taken into custody on charges including possession of firearms, aggravated assault, burglary, robbery, strangulation and homicide. The burglary and robbery-related arrests were included as part of this operation are individuals with a history of violence.
Various types of ammunition and weapons were recovered today, including an AR-15, a double-barreled shotgun, and multiple handguns.
This operation also seized 13 jars of marijuana and 87 marijuana plants containing over 39,000 grams with a street value of $400,000.
“Every gun taken off the street and every individual arrested with an outstanding warrant is a step in the right direction,” Bilal said. “We will continue to work, with the support of our partners, to capture those with outstanding warrants and make the streets safer. There is more work to do every day as we deal with this unprecedented surge in gun violence. This work does not stop here. We will play our part as law enforcement.”
The press conference, held in the lobby of the Family Court Building, included speakers Sheriff Rochelle Bilal, Chief Deputy Sheriff Vernon Muse, Delaware County Sheriff Jerry L. Sanders and Chester County Sheriff Freda L. Maddox.
This sweep is the latest in a series of periodic inter-departmental actions to supplement the efforts of the Sheriff’s Fugitive Warrant Unit, a 24-hour/7-day unit of the Office. It is part of Sheriff Bilal’s continuing commitment to honor the mandate given to her by the citizens of Philadelphia to help make the city a safer, better place to live.
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