Over 580 people arrested, drugs and guns seized in operation in Phoenix

PHOENIX — More than 580 people were arrested in a five-day multi-agency operation organized by the Phoenix Police Department.

“Operation Summer Shield” took place between June 5-9 and resulted in arrests along with gun and drug seizures, according to a press release.

Officials said over 420 of the arrests were for felonies, nearly 520,000 fentanyl pills, over 5 pounds of methamphetamine and more than 40 weapons were seized.  Every gun seized was found to be with a person prohibited from possessing a firearm.

Planning for the five-day operation took seven weeks and it involved local, state and federal law enforcement agencies.

“The City of Phoenix is safer than it was just one week ago because of Operation Summer Shield,” Interim Police Chief Michael Sullivan said in the release.

More than 230 of the people arrested had a criminal history that included violence and 16 absconders of the Department of Corrections were located and taken back to prison.

Four murder cases and close to 700 active warrants were cleared, the release stated.

Sullivan said they rollout out their Crime Reduction Plan to give the department a blueprint for addressing crime. The plan focuses on going after the small percentage of people committing the majority of crime, he said.

“Operation Summer Shield did exactly that. We targeted the most violent people with outstanding warrants and prohibited possessors,” Sullivan said.