MEMPHIS, TN – Memphis Mayor W.W. Herenton, Memphis Police Director Larry Godwin and Shelby County District Attorney Bill Gibbons announced Monday that the Memphis Police Department’s Undercover Operations Unit and the D.A.’s Office have closed seven residential houses under the Tennessee nuisance law where the sale and use of illegal drugs, namely crack cocaine, frequently occurred. The nuisance actions were the result of the “Operation Street Sweep IX” investigation.
The Environmental Court issued temporary injunctions against the owners of the properties located at 1058 East McLemore, 1499 Patton Street, 3475 Dunn, 1079 Somerville, 3719 Sturgeon, 1606 Robin Hood Lane, and 727 Regent.
As a result of undercover operations by the Memphis Police Department since the start of Operation Blue CRUSH™, the D.A.’s Office has filed nuisance actions against more than 65 locations.
One of the properties closed Monday, a house located at 1058 East McLemore, is located across the street from Union Valley Baptist Church, where officials held Monday’s news conference with Rev. H. O. Kneeland and members of his congregation. Undercover officers have purchased or have witnessed the purchase of crack cocaine inside 1058 East McLemore on numerous occasions, according to the petition. The petition alleges that drug sales at 1058 East McLemore are “brazen, open and routine,” and the location “poses a substantial risk to this community and its citizens.”
As a result primarily of Operation Blue Crush™ undercover operations, District Attorney Gibbons noted that the number of drug indictments from the state Grand Jury for Shelby County has increased by about 50 percent in the past three years—from 3,238 in 2003 to 4,886 in 2006.
“The message to drug traffickers should be clear by now. Not only are they going to face indictment by the Grand Jury and get an early morning wake-up call from the Memphis police during a round-up, but we’re also going to shut down their drug houses so they can’t get out on bond and continue doing business as usual while awaiting trial,” said District Attorney Gibbons.
“The Memphis Police Department continues to successfully combat crime. Gang members, drug dealers, prostitutes and others involved in criminal activity must choose reform, jail or leaving this city. The City of Memphis is no haven for criminals,” said Director Godwin.
“I want the citizens of Memphis to know that fighting crime is a challenge we have in our city, but with efforts like Operation Blue Crush and the relationship the Memphis Police Department has with the District Attorney’s Office, criminals are continuously being put on notice that we are not going to make it easy for the to operate in Memphis, Tennessee,” said Mayor Herenton.
“Operation Street Sweep IX” extended to various neighborhoods throughout Memphis. In addition to the nuisance actions, on July 10, the state Grand Jury returned 151 indictments against 51 defendants for felony drug charges as a result of the investigation. The indictments included charges of sale of a controlled substance, and unlawful possession of a controlled substance with intent to manufacture, deliver or sell. The drug charges primarily involved the sale or possession of cocaine and the amount or types of drugs involved resulted in numerous felony charges ranging from Class D to Class B felonies.
Tennessee law states that the District Attorney General has authority to bring a civil action against any establishment deemed a nuisance. The statute defines a nuisance, in part, as “any place in or upon which… unlawful sale of any regulated legend drug, narcotic or other controlled substance…quarrelling, drunkenness, fighting, or breaches of the peace are carried on or permitted.”
The District Attorney’s Office, working with investigations by the Memphis Police Department and as part of Operation Blue CRUSH™, has filed nuisance petitions against the owners of numerous properties—both residential and businesses—under the Tennessee nuisance law. Some nuisance actions have resulted in permanent closure of the properties. Others have reopened under consent orders to alleviate the nuisance. |