‘It’s kind of expected’: Neighbors react to Bradford Co. Sheriff’s deputies charging 33 people in drug bust

HAMPTON, Fla. (WCJB) - Residents in a Hampton neighborhood are reacting after Bradford County Sheriff’s deputies arrested or issued warrants for 33 people in a major drug bust.

“I mean like, in this neighborhood it’s kind of expected,” said Trenton Holt, Hampton resident.

Just a few houses down from where Holt lives is where deputies served a search warrant at a known drug house on Pine St.

Deputies are calling it the largest drug bust since the COVID-19 pandemic.

“I hear stuff like that going on around the neighborhood, and I just put up with it over the years since I’ve been here,” said Philip Hopper, neighbor.

But after “Operation Street Sweep,” a two and a half month long narcotics investigation, deputies are reminding community members they’re not putting up with this.

“Typically what happens is it starts with one or two people as the focus, and it just spiderwebs out from there,” said Brad Smith, Chief Deputy, Bradford County Sheriff’s Office.

When deputies started searching the home on Pine St., they found that the owners of the home were allowing two children under the age of 6 to live in inhumane conditions.

“Once they went into the travel trailer, the living conditions that the two kids and two adults were in were just deplorable,” said Smith.

Deputies arrested the mother of the children, Deena Crawford, at the home.

She’s facing charges of child neglect and drug trafficking.

Workers with the Florida Department of Children and Families are now arranging a safe living environment for the children.

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