PAINESVILLE, Ohio — Dedicated to targeting fugitives and drug-related offenses, the Lake County Sheriff said a new unit has achieved over 260 arrests and seized significant quantities of narcotics, enhancing safety across the county.
The unit is laser-focused on proactive policing.
“It’s more targeted enforcement,” said Lake County Sheriff Frank Leonbrunno.
The deputies are targeting fugitives, drugs and guns. Leonbrunno started the unit last year and said it is making a difference in Lake County communities.
“Absolutely, they have identified on a number of the traffic stops large amounts of drugs, they’ve identified wanted individuals,” Leonbrunno added.
According to the Lake County Sheriff’s Office, in the last nine months deputies assigned to the new until have made 261 warrant arrests and 30 drug arrests. In February, the four-person unit responded to 687 calls for service, in March 713, and 903 in April.
Last month, deputies in the new unit made two different traffic stops that netted nearly three pounds of methamphetamine. Leonbrunno said it was packaged and ready to be sold in Lake County communities.
News 5 went along with the deputies for a close-up look at what they are doing to put the brakes on crime in the county.
“We’re going to head out to Eastlake to pick up one of our first few warrants,” said Deputy Matt Arko. That ended with the arrest.
Arko left the business world to protect and serve. “Every day is different,” said Arko.
Deputy Brandon Savage and his K9 partner Ryker are the other half of the unit News 5 spent time with.
“His nose, you know, is 30, 40 times stronger than ours,” explained Savage.
With that nose, Ryker is utilized in many different situations. The unit responds to help other deputies as well as other Lake County law enforcement agencies.
“We get called for traffic stops to go and do free air sniffs around the vehicle for any illegal narcotics. We get called from different agencies to search for people who are missing, or items that have been tossed by someone that runs,” Savage said.
