Heights Police Assist Sheriff in More Than 60 Arrests Along Route 30

helped the Cook County Sheriff make 64 arrests earlier this month, 17 of which landed serious felony charges, officials say.

The operation, which targeted crime in Chicago Heights, Ford Heights, Lynwood, Matteson, Park Forest and Sauk Village, started April 4 and continued through April 13. Police worked the targeted from 6 a.m. to midnight each day of the operation, which was coordinated by the Sheriff’s Gang Crimes Task Force.

Aside from the arrests, police seized more than $50,000 in drugs, which included a cannabis, cocaine, prescription drugs and ecstasy pills, along with drug paraphernalia, according to police. Police also recovered false identification, fraudulent credit cards and four illegal firearms.

The Sheriff’s truck, traffic and DUI enforcement team levied nearly $60,000 in fines against cars and commercial trucks traveling down Route 30 for infractions such as overweight cargo and other vehicle code violations, police said. 

The Sheriff's Office thanked the assisting police agencies, including Chicago Heights, Ford Heights, Matteson, Park Forest, Sauk Village, Crestwood, Glenwood and Homewood. Lynwood Police Chief Michael Mears played a lead role in the operation, according to the Sheriff's Office.

“This operation is an excellent example of law enforcement agencies working together to keep an entire area safe, regardless of boundaries,” said Sheriff Thomas J. Dart in a press release. "This task force is a way for us to combine knowledge and resources that may be unavailable to some, and certainly strengthens us all.” 

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