According to Campbell Police Department Capt. Russ Patterson, the arrests occurred at 113 Llewellyn Ave. around 5 p.m. Charges included possession of drugs, being under the influence of drugs, parole violations and possession of deadly weapons. A quantity of methamphetamine was recovered, as were some weapons, Patterson said. There was no evidence of methamphetamine manufacture. The names of the five people, who ranged in age from 21 to 54, were not released because the investigation is ongoing.

Patterson said the department had received a number of anonymous calls reporting higher than normal foot and vehicle traffic, as well as chemical odors coming from the house.

The police investigated the complaints and determined that the individual living in the home was on parole.

"We did a search of the person's residence," Patterson said. "During the search, there were other individuals in the home who we arrested."

While the search was going on two more people showed up who had various violations and warrants, and they were arrested as well, Patterson said.

The police action comes as a relief to residents of Llewellyn Avenue.

One resident said that the arrests have brought more awareness to the street and illustrated the importance of establishing a neighborhood watch program. Residents are planning to get together and discuss the issue.

"After all," one neighbor said, "it's not as if they were playing the stereo too loud."

The neighbors, however, are in solid agreement that the police department was very responsive to their concerns.

"The police have said they want us to call if there is any suspicious activity," one resident said. "They are taking it very seriously now. If there's a call, they are Johnny-on-the-spot. They are right there."

All the residents interviewed for the story agreed to speak on condition of anonymity, citing safety concerns, since the individuals arrested have made bail, except for one man who had an outstanding warrant.

Residents told The Campbell Reporter that the heavy foot traffic in and out of the house has lessened and loitering on the street has also diminished.

Prior to the arrest, residents said the situation had become quite disconcerting. The neighbors living close to where Llewellyn Avenue dead-ends were more affected by the activities than those farther down the street.

The homeowners contacted the police department on several occasions, but there was never enough evidence of drug activity until the July 27 arrests.

"This has been going on for a couple of years," one resident said. "We would notice cars parked at the end of the street; one person would stay in the car and the other would go in." He added that his son told him he recognized a local high school student entering the home.

"That's when it became an issue for me," he said.

Another neighbor said that when the house was sold a couple of years ago, they'd hoped the new owners would evict the tenants, but that didn't happen.

Residents became even more concerned when they began to notice chemical smells emanating from the house. One neighbor recalled a backyard barbecue where the smell drifting over from the house became so bad they had to move inside.

"We talked about it with neighbors that night," the resident said, "but we didn't do anything—our mistake. The police told us they would have had probable cause."