Warren Street Crimes Unit begins to make presence felt

Staff report

WARREN

Warren’s new Street Crimes Unit has begun its focused approach to law enforcement.

The unit arrested one man Friday afternoon for loitering on the porch of a vacant house, and arrested another man on weapons charges Thursday for throwing away a handgun while police were chasing him.

The unit, created by new police Chief Eric Merkel, isn’t at full strength yet, but it will consist of six officers in a couple of weeks.

Its purpose is to focus on specific trouble spots in the city and spend enough time there to have an effect, because officers working road patrol frequently have to leave one trouble spot to attend to another, Merkel said.

At 3:48 p.m. Friday, two plainclothes street crimes officers charged James L. Earnest, 43, of Union Street Southwest with having an open container of alcohol on the porch of a vacant house on Mercer Street Northeast.

At 1:32 p.m. Thursday, street crimes officers charged Keith J. Holley, 23, of Idylwild Street Northeast with being a felon in possession of a firearm and carrying concealed weapons after he fled from police — first in a car and then on foot — and tossed away a handgun during the foot pursuit, which ended on Idylwild Street.

Street-crimes officers also arrested two women last week on warrants and other charges, such as possession of drug paraphernalia, after officers found them loitering in areas frequented by prostitutes.

The unit, which includes officers trained to patrol on a bicycle, can sometimes observe illegal activities more covertly because they are in plain clothes, Merkel said.

He added that their presence should help reduce illegal activity and improve safety during events in the parks, such as Courthouse Square, the amphitheater or Perkins Park.