A multi-agency enforcement and probation compliance sweep led to 24 arrests Thursday at trolley stops in La Mesa, El Cajon and Santee.
Deputies and officers checked on 620 people and searched about 57 of them for possible probation violations between 2 p.m. and 10 p.m.
Three people were arrested for felonies and 21 for misdemeanors.
Many of the arrestees were realigned offenders. In 2011, A federal court ordered the State of California to reduce its overcrowded prisons. Non-violent criminals became the responsibility of local law enforcement rather than state agencies, so some offenders are now sent to county jails instead of prisons.
Following tips, deputies and investigators checked to see if the arrestees were linked to various crime cases.
The goal of the sweep was to track known offenders and their associates. Deputies can then trace that information to actual crimes and address safety issues in local neighborhoods.
In addition, 19 people were cited for trolley violations as a result of the sweep.
The operation was conducted by Rancho San Diego and Santee Sheriff's Stations, along with the help of deputies from the San Diego County Sheriff's Analysis Driven Law Enforcement Team, La Mesa and El Cajon police departments and MTS.
