“The whole focus is going after violent criminals: Violent criminals who are using guns, violent criminals who are not supposed to have guns but do, in fact, have guns,” Gov. Mike DeWine said Friday during a press briefing in Springfield about the initiative. “The whole focus is to go into the community with the sheriff’s office, with the police department, and focus on the violent repeat offenders.”
Andy Wilson, director of the Ohio Department of Public Safety and former Clark County prosecutor, said last week the operations are data driven and focused on violent crime, with state resources available when requested.
Many resources from the highway patrol were used to assist last week during the Springfield and Clark County initiative, including troopers from the Piqua District, Aviation Section, Criminal Patrol Unit and agents from the Ohio Investigative Unit, in addition to officials with the Ohio Narcotics Intelligence Center and parole officers from the Department of Rehabilitation & Correction among others.
