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'Sting cleaning' hits campus
By Kim L. Ross
Echo staff writer

Responding to community surveys, Durham’s Community Activation Team headed by Durham Police Sergeant Winslow Forbes has taken action with a series of checkpoints and raids designed to reduce crime in Durham neighborhoods.

This plan got the attention of N.C. Central University Police Chief McDonald Vick.

"There is a high concentration of drugs around campus and people come on the campus causing problems," Vick said. "We needed to send a message to criminals that crime will not be tolerated on and around campus."

Wayne Lin of the Alcohol Law Enforcement Agency said the sting operation was a "social action to get in touch with the community."

Over 100 law enforcement officers set up around NCCU as part of "Operation Sting Cleaning," April 12 and 13. NCCU police joined Durham Police, parking enforcement, the Durham Sheriff Department, the N.C. Highway Patrol, Alcohol Beverage Control, Alcohol Law Enforcement, the Division of Motor Vehicles and Durham Animal Control to set up four motor vehicle checkpoints on Alston Avenue, Lawson Street, Fayetteville Street, and Cornwallis Road from 6 p.m.-12 a.m.

According to authorities, 1,251 vehicles were stopped and 316 people were charged with various offenses, including four DWIs, 49 expired inspection stickers, 20 expired registrations, 48 charges of driving without a license, 37 charges of driving while license revoked, 15 seat belt violations, 25 speeding citations, 18 warning tickets, 45 parking tickets, and 34 other offenses.

Twenty arrests were made: five for cocaine possession, 13 for marijuana possession and two for illegal possession of weapons.