Behind the numbers in the Roanoke Rapids Police Department’s Stop the Violence enforcement efforts in the city’s troublespots, action beyond the patrols is taking place.

A property owner of houses in the areas of Church and Carter streets has done cleanups and taken down abandoned houses where drug dealers commonly hide drugs, weapons and ammo, Chief Bobby Martin said this afternoon.

There have been three houses demolished between Carter and Church, he said. “He’s made some great improvements by taking down the homes that were not going to be repaired. We’re working with him. He’s working with us. The police department is here for the community.”

Martin said calls still come in but the frequency has slowed down.

Martin reported at Tuesday night’s city council meeting the following Stop the Violence stats from the period of October 9 to October 14:

Nineteen traffic stops with the following results — five people driving while license revoked; three driving without a license; three driving with expired insurance; two driving with revoked tags; one simple possession of marijuana citation; one drug paraphernalia citation; one warrant for unauthorized use of vehicle count; one charge of discharging a weapon into occupied property; one possession of a firearm by a felon count; and order for arrest served.

In the first phase of the operation officers made 22 traffic stops and 20 total charges.

The special enforcement was in response to a shooting during the last week in September in which a driver was injured and stray bullets were sent into the glass door of a church.

The vehicle shot at was leaving Carter Street which, like Church Street, is one way in and one way out. The victim of the shooting has not cooperated.

One abandoned house where guns and ammo were found and two people were charged had become a hangout spot.