The latest drug investigation by the state Attorney General’s office isn’t likely coming to a theater near you. But the code names agents give to their big cases could be worthy of a moviehouse marquee: Operation Bonecrusher. Operation Smackdown. Operation Breed on a Wire. “Bonecrusher is my favorite,” said Frank Noonan, the regional director of the office’s northeast drug bureau. “We were going after a guy whose nickname was ‘Bones.’ It gives the case an identity and raises it in the public eye from something ordinary.” The office started publicizing its code names for high-profile investigations more than two years ago, borrowing a tactic long-used by the FBI and the military. The goal is the same, whether it’s Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan or Operation Macho in Philadelphia: Focus the attention on a victory, whether it’s on the battlefield or the war on drugs. “It’s a way to break through a very cluttered information barrier with a catch phrase that people will associate with something very important,” said Victoria “Torie” Clarke, a former Pentagon spokeswoman from Sewickley. “When you have a million cases in the office, it gives everyone a way to keep track of what’s going on,” said Kevin Harley, a spokesman for Attorney General Tom Corbett. Harley said his office’s use of the “Operation” titles started in Noonan’s office. An FBI agent for 27 years and a former Marine, Noonan was used to snazzy code names. “The agents often came up with the names. When they’re done, everybody involved got a T-shirt with the operation name on them,” Harley said. “It was so successful, we took it statewide.” Ron Freeman, a retired Pittsburgh police commander who teaches criminal justice at the University of Pittsburgh and Duquesne, said law enforcement uses the code names internally to keep investigators focused, and in public for good public relations. “People will see it as a real police operation, not just an arrest that fell into their laps,” Freeman said. If the agents in a case have not thought of their own snappy title by the time arrests are made, Harley said he often will ask for Noonan’s help or make his own suggestions. “Operation Failing Grade. That was mine,” Harley said of a case announced last month in which several Mansfield University students were charged in connection with a cocaine and marijuana ring. The names usually have some connection to the investigation — a ringleader’s nickname, a play on words or a pop-culture reference. Operation Trading Spaces involved suspects who used their drug proceeds to renovate expensive homes, like on the TV show. Clarke said the names used by the military usually came from the uniformed brass. Sometimes the names don’t have much to do with the actual military activity: Operations Steel Curtain, Flea Flicker and Iron Grip sound like they could have come from Bill Cowher’s playbook instead of the war in Iraq. Clarke recalled the controversy that erupted over Operation Enduring Freedom’s original name, Operation Infinite Justice, which some perceived as offensive to Muslims. The name was changed after about a week. “As long as the name doesn’t take away from the seriousness of what’s going on, it can be a good thing,” Freeman said. And like a good movie, a big investigation can have a sequel. The Attorney General’s office followed up 2005’s Operation Bad Rap — which targeted a drug ring allegedly led by a rap music producer — with Bad Rap II in October. “When we announced Operation Smackdown (last week) we said more arrests could occur,” Harley said of the breakup of a heroin ring in the northeast corner of the state. “So watch for more to come in Smackdown Part Two.” Additional Information:

Basic operations

Recent state Attorney General’s office ‘operations’ and their targets: Operation Easy Writer: Doctors who illegally prescribed pills Operation Byrdcage: A cocaine ring allegedly run by Val C. Byrd Operation Bad Harvest: People growing marijuana Operation Maestro: A drug ring allegedly led by Jose ‘Maestro’ Arias Operation Flea Collar: Drug sales at flea markets Operation eBay: An Internet-based shoplifting and resale ring

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