Public Safety

Criminals Targeted in Trolley Operation

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Authorities from multiple agencies arrested 29 people Saturday as part of an operation focused around a South Bay trolley station.

“The goal of the Stonegarden Southern Trolley Operation is to enhance public safety in the border region by enforcing laws, and probation supervision conditions in and around those areas of San Diego County,” said San Diego County Probation Chief Mack Jenkins. “As it turns out, many people who feel comfortable breaking some of our more minor laws, also have no issue with committing other serious crimes. Those are the kind of people we are trying to get off the trolley which makes it safer for other riders and for the people living around the trolley lines.” 

Arrests were for outstanding felony and misdemeanor warrants, probation and parole violations, and other offenses such as possession of an illegal knife, possession of a controlled substance, public intoxication, and misuse of a passport, said Supervising Probation Officer Kendall Amerige. Officers also cited 213 people for various transit violations and contacted 2,484 people during the operation, he said.

An estimated 60 law enforcement officers from San Diego County Probation, San Diego Sheriff’s Department, San Diego Police, Chula Vista Police, Metropolitan Transit System and U.S. Border Patrol were waiting at the Iris Trolley Station in San Ysidro between 2 and 10 p.m. and were checking to make sure everyone had their tickets and were not violating other transit, local, state or federal laws around the station. Those that didn’t have their fares were cited, and officers conducted a check on them to make sure they didn’t have any outstanding warrants or probation/parole violations.

Officers were also out in the area around the Iris Trolley Station looking for anyone who might be violating other laws.

The Operation Stonegarden Program aims to enhance cooperation and coordination between law enforcement agencies in a joint mission to secure the border region.

Yvette Urrea Moe is a communications specialist with the County of San Diego Communications Office. Contact