NEW ALBANY — New Albany Police Chief Todd Bailey said in one evening, the city became a little bit safer, and a little more drug free.

The New Albany Police Department — with the assistance from the Floyd County Sheriff’s Department and Indiana State Police — arrested 20 people, mostly on alleged narcotics charges. The roundup began Wednesday evening and continued into the early morning hours Thursday.

“We got a lot of drugs off the street,” Bailey said. “This should open the eyes to whoever uses drugs illegally or deals in drugs. If you use it or sell it, we are going to come and get you. It’s just a matter of time.”

Several of the arrests occurred in Cross Creek Apartments off of Green Valley Road. And all of the arrests were made in New Albany.

“This is what we are going to do, this was the first step in our new initiative. We had had some complaints from residents, and we acted on them,” Bailey said.

One of those arrested, 43-year-old Jessie L. Gordon, of Louisville, also is charged with resisting law enforcement after he tried to evade police, Bailey said. He said Gordon also tried to swallow some evidence and was taken to Floyd Memorial Hospital and Health Services. He was later released and taken to jail.

“Cross Creek is not a bad area to live. We just had some individuals there who were trying to make it a bad place,” Bailey said. “There are some good people who live in Cross Creek.”

Bailey said of the 20 arrested, seven face class A felonies.

Those arrested include: Jessie L. Gordon, 43, of Louisville, dealing narcotics, resisting law enforcement; Jennifer L. Lauderdale, 35, of New Albany, dealing narcotics; Roy Mullins, 20, of Louisville, minor consumption; Candice Trotter, 23, of New Albany, possession of narcotics, possession of marijuana, visiting a common nuisance; Ashley Etheridge, 27, of New Albany, dealing narcotics; Mary Applegate, 55, of New Albany, dealing narcotics; Alicia Jacavino, 23, of New Albany, maintaining a common nuisance; Dawanna Mozee, 26, of New Albany, maintaining a common nuisance; Betty Johnson, 28, of New Albany, possession of marijuana; Dwana Hinkston, 40, possession of marijuana; Marquis Dansby, 30, of New Albany, dealing marijuana; Jason Proctor, 25, of New Albany, possession of marijuana, visiting a common nuisance; Jennifer Allegrina, 40, of New Albany, dealing cocaine, possession of paraphernalia; Cecil Blanton, 34, of New Albany, dealing cocaine within 1,000 feet of school property, possession of paraphernalia; Stephanie Leonard, 25, of Clarksville, possession of narcotics, possession of marijuana, visiting a common nuisance; Dylan Couch, 19, of Sellersburg, possession of a controlled substance, dealing a controlled substance, possession of marijuana; Ronald Glass Jr., 21, of New Albany, dealing marijuana; Richard Stevens, 28, of New Albany, dealing narcotics, possession of marijuana; Bridgett Yelder, 18, of Louisville, warrant, narcotics and Stephanie Dowdle, 27, of New Albany, possession of a controlled substance and possession of marijuana.