POLICE ARREST 45 FOR DRUGS IN ADDISON COMPLEX

Brazen drug dealers elbowed each other out of the way to hawk crack
cocaine to buyers who would boldly drive up to an Addison apartment
complex. The dealers would slip the crack into the car from a pocket
or hat - with one even spitting a tiny plastic bag containing the drug
at his customers.

Not anymore.

A combination sweep and sting at the Pheasant Run apartments at
College Boulevard and Swift Roads in Addison netted the arrests of 45
adults and one juvenile. Most are accused of buying or selling the
cocaine and are from throughout DuPage and Cook counties.

"This was a drive-through business," said Joe Ruggiero, supervisor of
the narcotics unit for the DuPage County state's attorney's office.
"It was not a problem to pull up and get crack cocaine."

Residents in the apartment complex were ecstatic with the crackdown.
One woman hugged an officer to thank him for cleaning up her
neighborhood, Ruggiero said.

Residents alerted police to the drug activity, he said.

"In the last few months, we've had some major drug raids because
citizens saw what was going on and weren't afraid to call the police,"
Ruggiero said. "Major deals are going down because of the calls people
are making."

Residents said drugs have been a constant problem over the years, but
they noticed dealing had increased this year.

They often saw strangers drive around the complex and others standing
on sidewalks ready to meet with the drivers.

"It had to happen sooner or later, this bust," said a middle-aged man
who wouldn't give his name, he said, for fear of reprisals. "I'm
surprised it's later than sooner. It's a bad scene."

Several residents said they have wanted to leave the unkempt complex
because the dealing had become blatant.

"It's gotten outrageous," another man said. "It was scary," he said,
referring to this summer when dealers would gather outside his apartment.

Dealers even would flash their money at kids playing nearby, one
father of three said.

"They want kids to know they make more money than their fathers make
working 8 to 5," he said, adding he was relieved police raided the
area.

About 70 officers from 17 police departments took part in the
operation that began at 6 a.m. Thursday and ended about 10 p.m.,
Addison police Deputy Chief Larry Stoll said.

Officials hope the crackdown will halt drug trafficking in the area,
Stoll said.

"If the drug action starts to reoccur," he said, "we possibly would do
another similar operation."

Stoll said a similar sweep was done in the same area about five years
ago.

Police arrested a group of people wanted on arrest warrants, then
stayed in the area posing as drug sellers and buyers, Stoll said. A
small quantity of crack cocaine and marijuana and one gun was
confiscated, he said.

All of the arrests were conducted without any problems, Stoll
said.

The bust was the culmination of a nine-month investigation involving
undercover officers making buys and catching many of them on video and
audio tape, Ruggiero said.

"We have street-level dealers mostly, and people who think it's OK to
go out and buy drugs out of their cars," he said. "It was very brazen."

Ruggiero said he expects more arrests as a result of the
investigation.

Checked-by: Patrick Henry