Brand new Stockbridge police unit makes largest bust in department history

STOCKBRIDGE, Ga. - Stockbridge police say a new unit formed just three weeks ago now has the largest bust in the department's history in its rearview mirror.

It's called the Crime Suppression and Traffic Unit. After Stockbridge residents complained of growing crime in their neighborhoods, the department got to work. They created a task force of officers who could focus on proactively seeking out dangerous criminals, rather than just waiting to answer calls for service.

Just weeks into the job, the new officers identified three stolen cars at a home on Carerra Road and seized a large amount of drugs, cash, guns and ammo all in the hands of two convicted felons.

Sgt. Blake Zimmerman showed FOX 5 some of the dangerous items they found during that major bust.

"This rifle in particular is a high caliber rifle that could do a lot of damage from a great distance. So this is an excellent firearm that is no longer in the hands of criminals," said Zimmerman. "Ammunition here. Some of this is armor piercing rounds [that] these criminals had no business being in possession of."

As far as the drugs, they recovered 875 grams of MDMA, or ecstasy, which officers say could potentially be laced with fentanyl, 675 grams of marijuana, prescription pills and 600 grams of psilocybin mushrooms. They also found $37,000 cash, multiple stolen and fraudulent credit cards and 18 guns.

"18 firearms that were illegally possessed by prior violent felons that had no business being in possession of these guns," Zimmerman clarified.

Police arrested the two convicted felons during the raid.

Tyler Hoffman is one of the officers in the new unit. He spoke about his experience with FOX 5 Atlanta.

"If it was not for their support … we would just be answering calls for service. And I would say that the fact that they allow us time to go out, and they wanted a unit specifically for that multi-prong approach for the protection of the community. It says a lot about the tight-knit unit that we are, and as well as the family we are, here at Stockbridge Police Department," Hoffman said.

Zimmerman says seeing these kind of results so soon shows just how effective this unit will be.

"I couldn't be happier. I'm extremely ecstatic," he said. "It's a pleasure to be able to lead this unit and be a part of such an elite team."