DRUG, PROSTITUTION PROBE NABS 57

Predawn Busts Cap 6-Month Operation

The predawn arrests of 57 West Bank residents Wednesday was part of a
six-month undercover operation to clean up two of the area's most
violent and drug-infested neighborhoods, Jefferson Parish Sheriff
Harry Lee said.

Starting at 2 a.m., authorities arrested the residents in an
operation that since September has yielded warrants for 294 suspects.
Among the arrests were three managers of a Marrero motel that Lee
said had become a haven for drug trafficking and prostitution.

The busts were part of the Sheriff's Office's Project STAR, an
8-year-old community policing program that aims to clean up and
rejuvenate 17 high-crime neighborhoods on both sides of the
Mississippi River.

Lee said the latest round of arrests focused on the Mount Kennedy
Drive neighborhood in Marrero and the Orleans Village neighborhood at
the southwest corner of Lapalco and Ames boulevards in Marrero, the
last two areas of the original 17 that were targeted.

Of the 294 wanted suspects, 146 have been arrested, Lee said, adding
that warrants have been issued for the rest. Of those arrested, 59
were already incarcerated at the parish's correctional center in
Gretna and another 30 were located in other facilities.

Collectively, the suspects have more than 2,000 prior felony arrests
and nearly half have prior felony convictions, statistics Lee said
validated Project STAR's emphasis on arresting career criminals.

"We are targeting the right people," he said, adding that violent
crime in 15 of the 17 targeted neighborhoods has decreased by 26
percent.

During the operation, deputies made more than 500 drug purchases from
the suspects, primarily relying on $10,000 in federal money.

The sting also helped police battle a drug and prostitution problem
at the Budget Inn motel in the 5200 block of Alice Street in Marrero,
Lee said, adding that 45 of the defendants were involved in drug
deals at the location. Many of the transactions took place in the
parking lot of the motel or in the streets that run in front of the
building, Lee said. "That is a trouble spot, and it always has been,"
he said.

During the investigation, police made 12 drug purchases from three
managers at the motel, one of whom was ultimately arrested while on
duty, Lee said.

In addition, 43 prostitution cases were investigated by police at the
motel, Lee said, adding that residents in the area had been
complaining to the Sheriff's Office for some time about the business.
"This is proof that we have been active in that area," he said.

In 1992, similar activity became a problem at the same location when
it was called the Royal Oaks Motel, Lee said.

Lee said he was successful getting the Royal Oaks declared a public
nuisance and forcing the owner to sell the property. He said he is
working with the Jefferson Parish district attorney's office to have
the Budget Inn meet a similar fate.