SOUTH BEND — Police in South Bend are cracking down on drunks. Officers conducted a sting operation Tuesday targeting the problem of public intoxication.

It stems from a number of complaints made by local business owners and citizens.

WSBT followed along as two officers on motorcycles and the prisoner van patrolled the area.

“You see these guys — they're always sitting out here or under the viaduct," said Cpl. Ron Glon of the South Bend Bend Police Department. “They're drinking, they're urinating in public, they're throwing the bottles, trash all over the place.”

Police gave breathalyzer tests to a group of men sitting along the sidewalk at the corner of Bronson and Main streets downtown.

“It's the bar — that's their bar,” exclaimed Joe Cowgill who works down the street. “They hang out and sit and drink."

Police arrested five men there as our cameras rolled.

“The highest one we had so far was [a blood alcohol content of] .28, which is about 3 1/2 times the legal,” said Cpl. Glon.

One business owner cheered after police loaded the men up in the back of their van.

“I think it's great,” remarked Cowgill.

“As far as a business owner, it's bad when you've got people loitering, just walking up and down the street with beer bottles, wine bottles,” explained Henry Miller who owns a business near the intersection. “A lot of times I have to remove them from the back of my building because they just want to hang out there."

Police arrested a man with an outstanding warrant after randomly stopping in another parking lot.

It was a stop that showed the struggles on the streets.

“People are living out here. Their beds are in the back, and they're drinking from what you've seen. So, that's what we're trying to clean up," explained Cpl. Derek Dieter of the South Bend Police Department.

The police also made an arrest at Howard Park and near the East Race.

In all, they arrested nine people for public intoxication or for having outstanding warrants.

Last week, the same group of officers conducted a similar sweep and also arrested at least nine people. They say they didn’t see any of the same faces Tuesday.

They plan to continue these sweeps throughout the summer.