DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — The Daytona Beach Police chief announced multiple arrests on Friday that he said were directly related to the recent rise in violence in the city.
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Chief Jakari Young said investigators found many of the shootings that have impacted Daytona Beach in recent months are connected to drug rings across the city.
“The evidence has consistently pointed to the intersection between narcotic sales and violent crime,” he said.
The department partnered with federal agents to arrest 25 people in Operation One By One and take several grams of cocaine, fentanyl and meth off the streets.
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“It’s about reclaiming our streets and ensuring a safer community for all of us,” Young said.
But Young said there is more to come.
“This is the first of several,” he said. “So, we are running this operation today, but I don’t want anyone to get comfortable and think this is going to be the only operation.”
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He also credited the community for proactively working with police to make the streets safer.
“The community leaders are on board, especially the mothers that have lost children to gun violence,” Young said. “Everybody is starting to come together now, and we are starting to discuss real solutions.”
On top of these sweeps, the chief is also working to upgrade the city’s infrastructure. There are plans to add new lights, cameras and a beachside substation that is set to open in September.
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