Durham police arrested 490 people and laid more than 800 charges during a six-month operation designed to address public safety concerns in Oshawa, the police announced on Oct. 16.
The Durham Regional Police Service said a proactive enforcement and community engagement initiative, Project Atlantis II, led to major drug seizures and increased police presence in the downtown areas of the southwest Ontario city.
Police said “a key focus” was disrupting thefts and the sale and distribution of illicit drugs that contributed to the community’s problems of addiction, violence, and disorder.
Officers completed 2,120 hours of bicycle patrols, 180 hours of foot patrols, and 96 hours of utility vehicle patrols downtown, on the waterfronts, on trails, and in parks, police said….