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." - --- MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom