35 Arrested in Countywide Weapons Probation Sweep

Law enforcement officers swept through Altadena, Pasadena and the Antelope Valley searching probationers and their homes Wednesday, leading to the arrest of 35 people for keeping guns -- a violation of their probation.

The countywide sweep is part of Supervisor Michael Antonovich's D.I.S.A.R.M. program, which stands for Developing Increased Safety through Arms Reduction Management. The program's goal, according to a release from the supervisor's office, is to take weapons out the hands of convicted criminals on probation in Los Angeles County.

Lt. Duane Allen of the Sheriff's Department said that while the sweep included Altadena, there were no violations to be found.

"(The sweep) happened everywhere, and they just checked up on a couple of people in Altadena," he said. "There weren't any arrests."

So far, the program has tallied up nearly 8,000 weapons and more than $350 million in illegal drugs and drug money, while also leading to 16,114 arrests since its inception in February 2000, according to Antonovich's office.

The program's design partners county probation officers with local law enforcement to initiate unannounced searches of probationers and their homes, as a condition of probation, and "targets the confiscation of guns, drugs, and other contraband."

According to the Contra Costa Times, the sweep included 158 probationers in all and led to the confiscation of 23 firearms. Officers also encountered 14 children deemed at risk for abuse and neglect.