A 48-year-old man wanted on a Canada-wide warrant is one of several people arrested as part of a recent enforcement sweep in Sarnia.
During the initiative, held on June 30, about a dozen people were arrested for varying offences.
The Sarnia Police Service (SPS) task force included investigators in plain clothing, uniformed officers, and special constables.
One of the accused was Kenneth Andrew Carrothers. A Canada-wide warrant was recently issued for the London man for being unlawfully at large and breaching statutory release.
He was arrested after city police saw him walking along London Road. Carrothers was arrested without incident and later turned over to the London Police Service.
Throughout the day, five people were arrested for allegedly using drugs in public spaces.
As part of a separate incident, two men were allegedly seen taking part in a drug transaction in a secluded stairwell in the area of Oxford Street and Maxwell Street at 4 p.m. Sarnia police seized 10 grams of fentanyl and 20 hydromorphone tablets.
A 51-year-old man was charged with possession of fentanyl for the purpose of trafficking, possession of hydromorphone for the purpose of trafficking, and two counts of failing to comply to with release order.
Meanwhile, five other people were arrested on warrants.
City police said a 36-year-old woman and a 49-year-old man were arrested on outstanding arrest warrants for break and enter and mischief under $5,000. They're accused of causing significant damage at a Talfourd Street residence on June 27.
A 33-year-old was arrested on a warrant for shoplifting from a retail business on October 21, 2023.
A 21-year-old Chatham man was also arrested on an outstanding warrant in connection to a robbery in Sarnia in April.
A 50-year-old was arrested on an outstanding warrant issued by OPP for mischief under $5,000 and eight counts of failing to comply with probation orders. They were later turned over to OPP.
Police Chief Derek Davis said the service is taking action to address concerns in troubled areas of the city.
"We know that a small percentage of individuals are responsible for causing a disproportionate amount of those issues, often directly correlated with drug abuse," he said in a media release. "Homelessness and addictions are not crimes, and enforcement is not the solution to social issues. However, when others are victimized by crime, and the community can no longer enjoy its own public spaces, enforcement becomes necessary."
Davis said the SPS intends to pursue more of these enforcement initiatives as time and resources allow.