DANVILLE, Va. – Law enforcement agencies arrested more than 180 individuals and seized multiple weapons and drugs during a week-long operation in Danville, Pittsylvania County and surrounding areas, officials announced Monday.
The initiative, dubbed “Operation Washout - No Limits,” involved collaboration between Danville Police and several state and federal agencies, resulting in the apprehension of 96 wanted individuals in Danville and Pittsylvania County, some found as far away as Florida and Alabama.
“Violence, illegal drugs and organized criminal activity will not be tolerated in our community,” said Deputy Chief Tim Jones of the Danville Police Department.
Among the operation’s key achievements was the seizure of 15 firearms, including a fully automatic weapon found in possession of a minor. Additionally, authorities confiscated over 55 grams of fentanyl, enough to kill more than 60% of Danville’s population.
“The agencies we are partnering with have their own expertise and bring something new to the table. It enhances what we’re able to do at the Danville Police Department,” said Captain John Dixon of the department’s Investigation Bureau.
Dixon added, “55 grams of fentanyl is a lot of fentanyl. I can’t say we expected to recover that much, but we are happy with the success of the operation.”
The arrests included individuals wanted for various offenses, ranging from assault of a law enforcement officer to indecent liberties with a child.
Danville Mayor Alonso Jones expressed mixed feelings about the operation’s necessity. “I don’t know if I should use terms like excited, because we in the city of Danville don’t want to see people arrested. But at the same time, we want to see people obey the law,” Jones said.
Local resident Doug McKnight welcomed the initiative, noting recent improvements in city safety. “Crime seems to be going down here. It doesn’t seem to be as bad as it used to be, but you’re still going to have crime,” McKnight said.
In addition to the arrests, authorities also conducted over 380 traffic stops. Officials confirmed that multiple federal investigations stemming from the operation are ongoing.