Crime & Safety
53 Arrested in Crime Crackdown in North Sarasota
The Sarasota County Sheriff's Office announced the results of "Operation Red Flag" on Wednesday. Find out who's been arrested and what they're charged with.
A Sarasota County Sheriff's Office operation aimed at cracking down on crime in north Sarasota has resulted in the arrests of 53 people, including a trio of teenagers with connections to nearly 30 vehicle burglaries, officials said Wednesday.
"Operation Red Flag" utilized "proactive policing methods" and the agency's "Intelligence to Action" system to target an area near 17th Street and Lockwood Ridge Road north to University Parkway and unincorporated areas to the west, where a number of burglaries had been occurring, according to a sheriff's office spokesperson.
Among those arrested was a group of three teenagers — 19-year-olds Shawn Whitfield and Tyler Radkey, plus a 17-year-old — whom the sheriff's office said were connected to at least 28 vehicle burglaries, two auto thefts and the fraudulent use of a credit card, authorities said.
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The operation resulted in a total of 126 criminal charges, including 76 felonies, plus 249 traffic citations. And among the 53 people arrested, there are 418 prior felony charges and 487 misdemeanors.
"Only a quarter of those cases resulted in convictions, and while some of these subjects served jail time, only eight of the 53 people arrested have ever been sentenced to state prison for their crimes," sheriff's office spokesperson Wendy Rose said in a media release.
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“Our system of intelligence gathering and data analysis gives us the ability to rapidly respond to an increase in reported crimes,” said Sheriff Tom Knight in a release.
“Because crime is transitory in nature, we will continue to use special operations, directed patrols and community oriented policing to deter or displace high-risk individuals and prolific offenders where and when the need arises to keep the citizens of Sarasota County safe and preserve the quality of life they expect.”
See the PDF attached to this story for a rundown of those arrested and their charges.
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