The crackdown is part of the Athens-Clarke County Police Department’s continued effort to target criminal street gang activity. The FBI Safe Streets Gang Task Force, Northeast Georgia Regional Drug Task Force, and Georgia Bureau of Investigation are assisting them in that effort.
The most recent arrests include Kaderrick Atkinson and Taveon Stevens, both 24 of Athens, and Jakwon Mapp, 23, of Nicholson.
Stevens was arrested for obstruction of law enforcement and existing arrest warrants for felony probation violation, trafficking heroin, and various other drug charges. At the time of his arrest, Stevens was out of jail on bond for weapons, trafficking, and drug possession charges. Police say he was also on probation for six counts of violating the street gang and terrorism prevention act.
Atkinson was arrested for obstruction of law enforcement, according to ACCPD. At the time of his arrest, he was out on bond for various charges including aggravated assault, battery, criminal trespass, and cruelty to children in the 3rd degree.
Officers arrested Mapp for allegedly violating federal pretrial release conditions. He was on pretrial release after being charged with three counts of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
“Over the past several weeks, ACCPD has arrested 13 known gang members and seized 10 firearms, as well as drugs and stolen property,” says the department’s public information officer Lt. Shaun Barnett. “ACCPD is committed to protecting the community and will continue to focus our efforts on violent criminal street gangs.”
Earlier this month, Athens-Clarke County Police Chief Cleveland Spruill defended their efforts when some city leaders opposed renewing a grant to fund the regional drug task force.
“The Athens-Clarke County minority community continues to be disproportionately impacted by crime, gangs, shootings, violence and deaths, all fueled by the ongoing regional drug trade. The Northeast Georgia Regional Drug Task Force plays a critical role in combating this violence and the negative impacts of the illegal drug trade on our community.”
The Athens-Clarke County Commission voted to renew the Byrne Justice Assistance Grant, 7-2, with Commissioners Mariah Parker and Jesse Houle voting against it.
When explaining their vote against the grant, Parker (who prefers the pronouns they/them) said they felt the task force disproportionately impacts Black communities, the Athens Banner-Herald reports.
“Data from the ACC Manager’s Office reveals that 76% of those arrested by the task force this year were African-American, despite studies that have indicated that white and Black people use and sell drugs at similar rates,” said Parker.
Before the vote, Spruill urged commissioners to approve the grant, calling the drug task force “a critical element of ACCPD’s crime reduction strategy.”
The grant is up for renewal again next year.
READ MORE ABOUT IT: Athens-Clarke commissioners renew grant for drug task force, but call for future changes
