It’s comforting to know law enforcement is at work to clear local neighborhoods of drug dealers and users. Residents should thank local deputies and officers for their tireless effort.

A four-month investigation, started in late May, resulted in the arrests of 26 people, 15 of whom were from Albert Lea in mid September.

Officers with the South Central Drug Investigation Unit made 58 controlled buys and acted on the tips of informants

to build their case. They also had the cooperation of the Freeborn County Sheriff’s office and Albert Lea Police which supplied information gleaned from patrols.

It takes time, more time than people have patience sometime, to build a case and identify people who make our communities unsafe, and a haven for drugs.

We can only imagine the painstaking work involved in gathering enough information to make such arrests and applaud local law enforcement for their diligence and commitment to ensuring we live in a safe community.

Thank you to each officer who helped round up these threats to our neighborhoods.