Department of Justice
For Immediate Release
U.S. Attorney, Toledo Police and ATF Announce Return of Operation Red-Zone for Halloween Weekend
TOLEDO, Ohio – U.S. Attorney Justin Herdman, Toledo Police Chief George Kral and ATF Special Agent in Charge Roland Herndon announced today that Operation Red-Zone will be active in the city of Toledo over the Halloween weekend beginning Friday, October 30, and running through Monday morning, November 2.
“Operation Red-Zone will return to the city of Toledo in an effort to deter violent crime over the holiday weekend and prosecute illegal firearms offenders on a federal level,” said U.S. Attorney Justin Herdman. “If you are prohibited from possessing a firearm under federal law, either because you have a prior felony conviction, a prior misdemeanor conviction, or some other disqualifying condition, then you are in the Red-Zone. If you possess a firearm this weekend while in the Red-Zone, expect to be caught and prosecuted in federal court.”
“During Labor Day Weekend of this year, Toledo Police participated in the highly publicized “Operation Red-Zone” with the U.S. Attorney’s Office,” said Toledo Police Chief George Kral. “During that weekend, six firearms were seized, the number of persons shot in the City of Toledo decreased by 83% compared to the same time last year, and there were no homicides reported. I am looking forward to this weekend’s partnership to detect and arrest those who are illegally carrying firearms in our city. Our overarching goal in this team effort is to prevent offenders from disrupting the peace our residents deserve while continuing to make Toledo a safe and secure community for people to thrive in.”
“As we approach this Halloween weekend, I would like to remind everyone to be safe and take a step back from the violence,” stated Roland Herndon, ATF’s Special Agent in Charge for the Columbus Field Division. “But be aware, if you choose to use firearms to commit crimes, ATF and our law enforcement partners will be there as always, working to hold you accountable for those acts.”
Operation Red-Zone is a collaborative initiative between local, state and federal law enforcement to pursue federal charges, where applicable, against individuals who are prohibited under federal law from possessing firearms, or who otherwise use a firearm in a violent crime or drug trafficking offense. Law enforcement agents with the Toledo Police, ATF, DEA, FBI and U.S. Marshals will be out in force and working cooperatively to deter, arrest and prosecute offenders.
Operation Red-Zone was initially launched in the city of Toledo earlier this year ahead of the Labor Day holiday weekend. On September 9, U.S. Attorney Justin Herdman and Police Chief George Kral announced the results of that operation.
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