After a yearlong narcotics investigation, the Gainesville-Alachua County Drug Task Force carried out four search warrants Wednesday evening in East Gainesville.
The Gainesville Police and Alachua County Sheriff’s Office SWAT teams kept at least three people at the scene, which included properties located at 1934 NE Third Ave. and 2021 NE Third Place, as well as two in the 2000 block of Northeast Third Avenue.
Task force detectives confiscated street-level amounts of cocaine and marijuana at each location, according to a news release.
No arrests were made, but multiple charges are pending as a result of the investigation, which began last year with an anonymous tip. Wednesday, neighborhood residents gathered around the block of properties, standing in driveways near squad cars with lights flashing.
One of them was 53-year-old Sharon Hale, who recently became a member of Gainesville Police’s Black on Black Crime Task Force.
“I’m frankly glad they’re busting every drug house that’s standing,” she said. “I’m really tired of seeing my people on drugs.”
Hale said she didn’t know the people involved, but she said she was suspicious of the block because she used to see cars coming and going at strange times.
Down the road, relatives of a resident of one of the houses stood and watched.
Lucille Shurelds, 78, said her granddaughter lived in one of the searched homes with her boyfriend and four children between the ages of 3 and 15.
Shurelds said she didn’t think her granddaughter was involved in the drug activity. In fact, she said she spoke with her granddaughter Wednesday morning. Then, the granddaughter said she thought her boyfriend was up to something, and she was going to kick him out if he was up to no good.
“She said she was going to talk to him,” Shurelds said, “but I guess it’s too late.”
A version of this story ran on page 5 on 10/17/2013 under the headline "Officers confiscate pot, coke after yearlong investigation"
An unidentified detainee sits outside one of the four properties authorities were investigating Wednesday evening. Officers simultaneously executed four search warrants on Northeast Third Avenue and Northeast Third Place as part of a narcotics investigation.
SWAT commander Joe Senn speaks with an officer Wednesday evening following the execution of four search warrants at the 2000 block of NE 3rd Ave. Three people were detained during the narcotics investigation.
