WHITEHALL, Ohio (WCMH) — Law enforcement agencies across Franklin County conducted on Thursday what they called a “Crime Blitz”.

Over 24 hours, officers were on the streets being proactive in their response to crime. Their goal was to be out on the streets making their presence known.

“If you come into Whitehall, there is probably a police officer watching what you are doing,” Sgt. Jon Earl said. “Our crime stats are lowering due to these blitzes. Our main thing is getting the word out: Hey, you don’t know when we’re going to be doing one of these. Don’t come into the city of Whitehall and commit crimes.”

The day started with a meeting to lay out a plan of action. Everyone, even K-9 officers, were involved. Once they hit the streets, it didn’t take long for a hit.

“We got alerted by our FLOCK cameras that a stolen vehicle had entered the city. We located it almost immediately, you can see, within two blocks,” Earl said. “Found it on a lot and were able to make two arrests. The passenger had felony drugs in their possession, and the driver will be arrested for possession of the vehicle.”

Earl said the stops are important in the short and long term.

“They’re using these stolen vehicles to go commit other crimes, because you can pretty much get away undetected,” he said.

The blitz featured a number of stops, including one that turned up a person with a warrant. Another man came to a bus stop with an open container. Earl hopes these crime blitzes are evidence of the work Whitehall police are doing to better their community.

“Your police department is out here working hard every day. These officers are dedicated to the mission of keeping people safe,” he said.

Whitehall police say they have a number of blitzes planned throughout the rest of the year.