Pubdate: Tue, 17 Dec 2002
Source: Sacramento Bee (CA)
Copyright: 2002 The Sacramento Bee
Contact:  http://www.sacbee.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/376
Author: Elizabeth Hume, Bee Staff Writer

POLICE PULLING OUT OF DRUG TASK FORCES

The Sacramento Department Plans To Refocus Its Efforts On Property Crimes 
Committed Within The City.

The Sacramento Police Department is withdrawing four officers from joint 
agency narcotics task forces that are administered by the Sacramento County 
Sheriff's Department. "We want to commit our resources to combating 
property crime in the city of Sacramento," police spokesman Sgt. Justin 
Risley said. "It's not only about the manpower, but the expertise that 
those men bring."

During the past three years, the Police Department has committed to 
staffing Sacramento County's High-Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA), 
California Multi-Jurisdictional Methamphetamine Enforcement Team (CALMMET) 
and Crack Rock Impact Program (CRIP).

The state and federally funded programs were established to combat the 
region's methamphetamine problem.

"Sacramento County is number one in the state for the use and distribution 
of methamphetamines," Sacramento County Undersheriff John McGinness said. 
"The overall consequence to the community is huge."

The task forces are staffed by 19 sheriff's positions and 15 positions 
pulled from various agencies including the Sacramento Police Department, 
Folsom Police Department, the state Department of Justice and the Drug 
Enforcement Administration.

The Sacramento Police Department was allocated six positions on the task 
forces. Three full-time positions and one overtime position were filled, 
and members' salaries have been funded through state and federal grants.

Two positions were left vacant because the Police Department could not 
spare any more of their experienced officers, Risley said.

Sacramento City Councilman Robbie Waters has questioned the city's decision 
to withdraw from a state-funded program that concentrates so much of its 
work on city issues.

"These are grant-funded positions, and I see no reason for the Sacramento 
Police Department to pull out of the task forces," Waters said. "Why would 
we want to pull out when ... at least a large portion of these crimes 
happen in the city?"

 From November 2001 to this month, 46 percent of the county's CALMMET 
arrests were within city limits, 43 percent were in the county and 11 
percent were in other jurisdictions. Since July, the CRIP program has made 
36 arrests, 22 of which were in the city.

Deputy City Manager Rich Ramirez said he does not believe the city's 
withdrawal will affect these figures.

"The regional effort will follow where the activity is," Ramirez said.

David Topaz, president of the Sacramento Police Officers Association, said 
the police are withdrawing from the task forces over dissatisfaction with 
the administration of the grants.

"This has more to do with the administration of the grants and the 
difference in styles of how we would like to see the grants run," Topaz 
said. "The Police Department wants to focus more on street-level narcotic 
trafficking in the city."

Though no longer a member of the task forces, Risley said police officers 
will continue to fight the drug problem by targeting property crimes, which 
often finance drug use. During the past two years, property crime has grown 
by 39 percent in the city, he said.

"We're focusing on narcotic users in the city who we believe support their 
habit through property crimes," Risley said. "The task forces were a great 
opportunity but we are excited about this new campaign."

This week, the Sheriff's Department will begin its search for candidates to 
join the program.

"We'll fill the positions from other outside agencies," McGinness said. 
"We're just the coordinator and we haven't done anything to offend them. To 
pull out doesn't make any sense, but that's they're decision."
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom