Thirty years ago, in 1975, four young police officers -- including the current police chief Cel Rivera -- decided they needed to step up efforts to fight a wave of armed burglaries in Lorain.

They grew their hair long, donned plain clothes, carried shotguns, and used their own cars to prowl the streets while off-duty, hoping to nab criminals.

Officially called the ''special squad,'' they became known to the public as the ''Shotgun Squad.'' Besides Rivera, the squad was made up of then patrolmen Robert Poli, James Ryan and James McBennet.

''It was the first one of those programs,'' Rivera said. ''It was very successful. Within the first four months of operation, those four were responsible for at least half of the police department's felony arrests.''

Though it's now a common practice for police to patrol in plainclothes, Rivera said that at the time the program generated controversy, with minority and civic groups claiming that police were giving free reign to ''vigilantes.''

But the program was so successful, within a month the police chief made it part of the members' regular duties.

The squad made 144 felony arrests in the first 10 months of operation, including 50 suspects in burglaries and nine suspects in armed robberies.

After they became a regular shift, car dealerships traded cars with the squad members, so that they wouldn't be recognizable on the street.

''We weren't undercover,'' Rivera said. ''We just wanted that extra moment, before they realize we're police.''

Rivera recalls one time when a man, carrying a stolen appliance, asked for a ride in his car.

''I just started laughing,'' Rivera said.

The incident happened in The Morning Journal's parking lot.

Eventually, a Morning Journal reporter was allowed to accompany members of the unit as they went on their patrols, and wrote stories of high-speed chases and apprehending suspects.

''We became celebrities,'' said Rivera, who also noted that the squad's members gave talks around the county. ''It got to the point where we couldn't do any more speeches.''

In one incident which garnered attention, one of its members, Robert Poli, shot a 17-year-old who was fleeing a burglary. The youth survived, and Poli said at the time that he didn't realize the male was a juvenile.

He also told a Morning Journal reporter that he preferred not to use his weapons, and that squad members had only fired guns in two other incidents.

Rivera said that the squads are still in use today, although they are now called ''street units.''

He also said that the basic idea -- a group of motivated officers being taken off regular duties to aggressively patrol problem spots -- led to such larger enforcement units like the Strike Team.

''It's the same idea, county-wide, and better equipped,'' Rivera said. ''I think we used to be outgunned. We're definitely not outgunned now.''

He also noted that the Strike Team has a broader scope, while the original ''shotgun squad'' focused only on burglaries and robberies.

He said the goal was to create an atmosphere of respect for the law in troubled areas, by enforcing laws all laws, from big crimes to ''quality of life'' crimes as small as jaywalking.

''We want to send a message to criminals that they are not welcome,'' Rivera said.