It’s called Operation S.A.F.E, and the massive roundup of suspects is far from over.

Operation S.A.F.E hit the streets of Evansville from Tuesday to Thursday, three days of work that led to the arrests of 40 people who police say were committing crimes.

They say the mass arrests are a good start.

“They increased saturation patrols, did some targeted areas, and they also went after people with felony warrants,” says Vanderburgh County Sheriff David Wedding.

Every three to four months, authorities say the three agencies will sweep the city and high-crime areas.

Generally late May through September they see a spike in arrests in Evansville and throughout Vanderburgh county.

“What we are doing by targeting certain areas, we are trying to eventually minimize the amount of crime and drug sales and violence in those particular areas,” says Wedding.

Of the 40 individuals arrested, 23 had felony warrants, 17 misdemeanor warrants, 3 guns were found, along with a stolen car, heroin, nearly three pounds marijuana, and 16 and a half grams of meth, and cash.

“It is going to happen but as a sheriff… if we can take a criminal off the street, my doors are wide open.

“We have been shipping offenders to other jails in the surrounding areas to offset the increasing amount of people coming to the jail.”

Sheriff Wedding says Operation S.A.F.E will continue to make drug sweeps to curb the opioid epidemic.

“I don’t want people out selling drugs in my community. We have a horrendous drug problem here in Evansville and Vanderburgh County, and I think we have to do two things; We have to go get the person selling the drugs, arrest them and prosecute them vigorously and then we need to seek help for the drug addicts, and I am pushing for both.

Sheriff Wedding says the county is partnering with area jails like Jefferson county – as we previously reported – to deal with the influx of inmates.