More than 80 arrests at one Independence apartment complex (The Examiner)

More than 80 arrests at one Independence apartment complex
Independence police, federal agents conduct warrant sweep at Independence's Timber Wind Apartments

By Michael Glover
The Examiner
Posted Oct 05, 2010 @ 01:20 AM

Independence, MO — Law enforcement blitzed an Independence apartment complex, arresting 64 people on warrants and discovering 21 illegal immigrants.

Independence police officers and federal agents on Thursday conducted a “warrant sweep” operation at the Timber Wind Apartments, 1401 S. Cunningham Ave. off Truman Road in west-central Independence.

The department has received a large number of calls at the complex that prompted them to conduct the warrant and illegal alien sweep of the complex.

In fact, since February 2010, the department has received nearly 300 calls for service at the apartments. A breakdown of the calls consisted of 94 disturbances, 11 aggravated assaults, 26 burglaries, 15 emergency 911 calls, seven threats, four recovered stolen autos, and other calls.

“We went in there to do knock-and-talks, check residents, follow up on calls we had going there,” said police spokesman Tom Gentry. “We went to check identifications to see if anyone had warrants. In the process, we also discovered these other issues going on there.

“We figured all of these problems may be connected to the people who have warrants. We didn’t know what we were going to find, but we knew that there was a problem there and wanted to get to the bottom of it.”

The sweep originated from the department’s Crime Overview Response Evaluation, a proactive intelligence-based policing philosophy effort.

Involved with the sweep were 40 IPD officers and federal agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Officers conducted 135 residence checks.

They arrested 64 people on warrants, discovered 21 illegal immigrants, checked 19 pedestrians in the area, made 35 car stops within the complex, and arrested five people for unrelated issues.

Also, police found two people confirmed to be affiliated with gangs.

Based on some of the calls, investigators had a feeling there were illegal immigrants at the complex. That’s why they called for U.S. Immigration agents.

Gentry said the sweep was an “overwhelming success.”