Photo: New Beginnings
NOVATO — Authorities rounded up a few usual suspects during a drug sweep in the city’s Hamilton district. Officers arrested two men and briefly detained a woman near the New Beginnings Center homeless shelter.
The sweep follows recent complaints by residents living close to the 80-bed shelter at 1399 North Hamilton Parkway.
Several law enforcement agencies participated in the crackdown on illicit drug sales and illegal homeless encampments in the Hamilton district. A special unit of the Marin County Probation Department organized the operation.
Novato police, Marin County Sheriff’s Office deputies, probation officers and officers from two county crime task force units conducted the sweep. Law enforcement converged near the shelter on August 30.
Authorities searched the immediate area to locate addicts who abandoned drug treatment programs. In addition, officers detained individuals subject to searches under terms of their probation status.
Robert Hodgkinson, 53, was arrested for being under the influence of a controlled substance and for resisting an officer. He is presently no longer in custody.
Since 2014, Hodgkinson has 22 arrests, mostly involving drugs and inflicting corporal injury on another person.
John Gobbin, 53 of Novato, was arrested for possession of methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia. This is Gobbin’s 26th arrest since 2014, primarily for drug-related offenses. And he is presently no longer in custody.
In addition, authorities detained 52-year-old Gina Ross from Novato. Ross has accumulated 15 arrests since 2013, including several arrests for drugs. However, this time they cited her for drugs, and released for medical evaluation.
