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Two members of the Asbury Park City Council at a meeting held Wednesday talked about the recent sweep of arrests made in the city in connection with gun use, drug sales and violent crimes.

“I’ve got to commend all of those involved,” said Mayor Myra Campbell, although she acknowledged she and other member of council were unaware of the operation or how much presence Asbury Park police had in the effort.

Deputy Mayor Sue Henderson congratulated members of police who were involved, saying the effort “resulted in quite a few arrests … and getting some very bad people off the street.”

Campbell also cautioned against judging those arrested in the court of public opinion before they are given a fair trial,while stipulating those who deal drugs in Asbury Park are not welcome in the city.

“We cannot judge people until they are convicted,” she said. “But there is no place in Asbury Park for people who want to push drugs.”

Finding out how the drugs are coming into the city should be prioritized, according to Campbell, as the city is mainly used as a point of distribution rather than manufacture.

“We need to look at – how do the drugs get here?” she said. “This is just a distribution hub.”

“Whenever you get bad guys off the street that is good, whenever you remove people who are poisoning the community, that is good,” Campbell told the Sun. “But if 31 people were taken out of the loop, there may be other people in major cities that take their place.”

Several residents also spoke about the matter during public session.

Campbells statement in regard to the Asbury Park Police Department’s role in the operation was met with frustration by city resident Arnold Faulhaber.

“They should be commended, not broken down in front of all the people in this town,” he said.

Campbell said the sweep was a sting and due to the nature of the operation certain information is only “privy” to those conducting the sweep, and that she did not believe any member of the council even knew it was going to take place,

Resident Duanne Small commended authorities for the operation from “the law enforcement side. He and resident Daniel Harris said members of the City Council now need to prioritize putting jobs and other efforts in place so that more of the city’s West Side residents do not get drawn into a life of crime.

Over a six-month period starting in September of last year, a multi-agency investigation led by the Monmouth County Prosecutors Office dubbed Operation Dead End saw 31 defendants named and 28 people arrested for being part of an organized criminal enterprise believed to be responsible for violent street, drug, and gun crimes in the city. The arrests included two juveniles and 16-year veteran Asbury Park police officer Keith German, 45, who faces charges of official misconduct and unauthorized access of a computer database.

The investigation discovered members of the “Crips” and “Bloods” street gangs regularly conspired to commit several different firearms-related offenses on two dead end streets in Asbury Park, Dewiitt Avenue and Jersey Street in the Washington Village Public Housing Complex.

Two more individuals, Shamere Reid and Shakri Prince, were arrested after the results of the operation were announced on Friday.

Henderson also lauded the Asbury Park Police’s new community relations effort “Coffee with a Cop,” which began last week. The program invites members of the community to address concerns with authorities in a relaxed environment.

“I think it’s a good start for community policing,” she said.

The next Coffee with a Cop event is scheduled for March 15 at America’s Cup at 633 Cookman Ave from 9 a.m. to noon.

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