Dozens of people, guns, and drugs are off the streets in North Carolina thanks to something called the Violent Crime Action Plan.
It's a coordinated effort by law enforcement to address violent crime in the Northeastern part of the state.
"I want anybody who is a felon with a gun in this region to know, put it down. Now's your chance," U.S. Attorney for the eastern District of North Carolina, Michael Easley, said Tuesday.
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Flanked by local, state, and federal law enforcement representatives Tuesday, Easley announced nearly 50 people had been arrested and charged since January.
Specifically, he said law enforcement identified 47 people they believed to be major drivers of crime in the region. As of Tuesday, Easley said all but a few had been arrested.
Twenty one of those 47 people had been indicted federally.
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"This is just the beginning of the work," said Easley. "We got together in January of this year after a rash of brazen shootings over the past year to talk about violent crime in this region and talk about drug trafficking in this region."
Easley said along with the arrests, 26 guns, including five fully automatic machine guns, and enough fentanyl for 120,000 potentially fatal doses had been seized since January.
Others who spoke at Tuesday's news conference included former district court judge and former U S. Attorney Janice Cole and Jeff Cruden, the region's current district attorney.
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"The community needs to realize that we do have friends in law enforcement. It's just a matter of how it's coordinated, how we can bring them together," Cole said.
"We love where we live. We think it's the place that's great to live and raise families and we want to do all that we can to make sure that continues to be the way it is," said Cruden.
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"By no means are we declaring victory against gangs or gun violence in this region. But we're sending a strong message to the community that we've got your backs. We're here for you," Easley emphasized.
Easley also emphasized this is not the end of VCAP. The law enforcement agencies will continue to work together to address other crimes in the region.
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