A Community Partner
Neighborhood Cleanup Event
Saturday, May 15th
After looking at the city and surrounding areas, it has become evident that there are a lot of areas that are being vandalized by graffiti. To help our community, the roundtable saw the need to get a group of volunteers to work together to clean the marked areas.
If you are interested in joining this effort, click here to sign up to volunteer.
About Operation Our Town
Operation Our Town is a non-profit partnership between business and the community aimed at taking back our neighborhoods from drugs and related violent crime through law enforcement and proven treatment and prevention techniques.
Goal: Take back our neighborhoods.
Mission: Facilitating partnerships between community and business to fight drug use and crime through proven law enforcement, treatment and prevention techniques.
Operation Our Town Accomplishments
Operation Our Town awarded a total of over $200,000 in grants during the 2009 grant cycles to 23 community organizations for proven treatment, education and prevention programs aimed at reducing illegal drug use. An additional $200,000 in grants were made to law enforcement to help special operations — warrant squad, interdiction squad, saturation patrols, search warrants, tactical details, stakeout details, drug raids and Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force investigations.
Search warrants executed: 22
Blair County drug raids: 8
Blair County drug arrests:
2007 – 386
2008 – 543
2009 – 501
Saturation patrols: 7
Occurred in Altoona, Hollidaysburg, Tyrone Borough, Duncansville, Allegheny Township, Blair Township, and Frankstown Township.
Equipment purchased:
2009: Tactical ammunition and equipment, LED flashlights, digital voice recorders, and surveillance cameras.
Push Out the Pusher Calls
Push Out The Pusher hotline: (814-693-3020 or 866-693-3020)
2007 – 1,184 calls
2008 – 1,419 calls
2009 – 1,756 calls
Operation Our Town initiated a Most Wanted List May 23, 2007:
• 29 listed
• 24 captured
• 83% capture rate
Drug deaths:
Overall accidental drug overdoses decreased 37% from 2006 to 2009.
Drug/Criminal Prosecutions:
Blair County District Attorney Richard Consiglio hired Attorney Peter Weeks as the drug prosecutor in July 2007, with the help of a three-year grant from Operation Our Town.
Cases:
• Over 264 cases assigned in 2009
• Over 135 criminal defendants
• 10 jury trials
Forfeitures:
• One house by court order
• 6 petitions filed and pending for automobiles
• Computers, TV’s, cell phones, and other miscellaneous items
Volunteer Service:
• 116 Operation Our Town volunteers participated in 34 Outreach events
• 376 total volunteer hours during 2009
• Volunteers distributed yard signs, bumper stickers and other materials throughout the community, raising the awareness of Operation Our Town and the Push Out The Pusher Hotline.