South Australian Premier Peter Malinauskas says police are winning the war against gangs and violent offenders.
9News can exclusively reveal more than 80 people have been arrested in connection to some of the most violent crimes in the state, as part of Operation Mandrake.
The specialised taskforce set up almost 20 years ago targets crimes that pose a "significant risk" to the community, including thefts and home invasions.
"The reason Operation Mandrake was established is because police had intelligence, and knew that a small number of people were doing a lot of crime in our community," Malinauskas said.
"86 arrests that occurred throughout last year is a good thing. It's a demonstration that the operation is working.
"What needs to continue is that the courts and the criminal justice system more broadly turns the lives around of these often young offenders."
Victims' rights advocate Michael O'Connell, said the arrests – an average of one every four days – send "an important message".
"That is the police are prepared to apprehend people who they suspect are involved in violent crime or those who are associated with people who perpetrate violent crime," he said.
Authorities revealed they'd seized a range of weapons, none of them firearms.
Police say Operation Mandrake is all about preventing crimes before they happen, not just locking people up.
They say they'll continue to work closely with the community to keep the state's streets and homes safer.