Rikers Island locked down for 34 hours for drugs, weapons sweep

RIKERS ISLAND (WABC) -- Rikers Island was locked down for 34 hours Tuesday into Wednesday as part of an effort to curb escalating gang violence.

Police say a dozen homemade weapons, including sharpened plexiglass, metal rods and shoe shanks, were seized.

According to the New York Times, the lockdown applied to more than half the inmates, roughly 6,800, who were locked in their cells in what was the largest such operation in years.

There have been several violent incidents reported as of late, and the lockdown enabled officers to search for weapons and drugs.

Inmates were only allowed out of their cells if they had court appearances or needed medical treatment.