NATCHEZ &045;&045; Twelve suspected members of the Natchez-Adams County drug community got a rude awakening Friday morning.

Simultaneously for some, the day started with the banging of heavy hands on their doors and the presentation of handcuffs and warrants for their arrest.

Eight months of undercover drug buys, video surveillance and collecting information culminated with the first arrest around 8 a.m. for Metro Narcotics Agents, Adams County Sheriff’s officers, Natchez Police officers and an agent from the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics.

Operation Safe Neighborhood, Just Say No! was a drug roundup aimed at clearing the area’s streets, Metro Narcotics Cmdr. Cliff Cox said.

&uot;We want to make the streets of Natchez-Adams County safer,&uot; Cox said. &uot;We want to give the streets back to the citizens.&uot;

The law enforcement officers started their day at 6:30 a.m. for briefings and to study information on the warrants. Cox along with Sheriff Ronny Brown and Police Chief Mike Mullins ran a command central post dispatching four teams of four throughout the city and county.

Each unmarked law enforcement car carried at least one representative from each of the three agencies involved, NPD, Metro and the sheriff’s office. NPD K-9 officer Stanley Starks and drug dog Rex were on stand-by along with an ambulance from Metro Rural Services and Justice Court Judge Charlie Vess in case additional warrants were needed.

As suspects were located and arrested, transport cars took them to the Adams County jail where they are still being held. No bonds will be set until Monday.

Mullins said the arrests were the results of a lot of work over a long period of time.

&uot;Often times making a drug bust is not an overnight process,&uot; Mullins said. &uot;These have suspected involvement in drug activity at the corner of Woodlawn, Martin Luther King Jr. Street, Minor Street and Martins Lane. We’ve had several complaints from residents in these areas.&uot;

Brown said his department had also received numerous calls and that Friday’s busts were a response.

&uot;We’ve had so many complaints from the public,&uot; Brown said. &uot;We wanted to put a dent in it and show the public we have been working undercover.&uot;

Brown said the county has video footage of many of those arrested that will be used to pursue the cases to the fullest extent.

Though ambulances were on standby there were no injuries in Friday’s operation.

&uot;I’m proud of the operation,&uot; Mullins said. &uot;It went very well. It was a very dangerous situation making these arrests. These are very serious crimes and very often weapons are involved.

&uot;I’m proud of Metro Narcotics for developing the information to make these arrests without injuries.&uot;

Cox said the investigation was ongoing and the goal of cleaning the streets is constant.