Pubdate: Sun, 16 Feb 2003
Source: Press Democrat, The (CA)
Contact:  2002 The Press Democrat
Website: http://www.pressdemo.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/348
Author: Randi Rossmann, The Press Democrat Staff Writer
Note: This article is part of a multi-part series which ran in today's 
Press Democrat
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?115 (Cannabis - California)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/mmj.htm (Cannabis - Medicinal)

SEPARATE DRUG AGENCIES WORK TOGETHER WITH DIFFERING AGENDAS

Sonoma County now has two countywide drug task forces after a 3-year-old 
inter-agency effort nearly collapsed because of infighting and rocky 
leadership.

One group, led by a state Bureau of Narcotics Enforcement sergeant, pursues 
neighborhood and mid-level drug crimes.

The other, led by federal Drug Enforcement Administration agents, tackles 
major dealers and larger drug conspiracy cases that often lead out of the 
area. Local police officers and sheriff's deputies, who help staff both 
agencies, said the dual approach, which includes marijuana investigations, 
seems to be working.

The state-run force, made up of local police officers and deputies, has an 
agreement with those carrying proper medical marijuana clearance paperwork 
to follow county guidelines and state law regulating its use. For the DEA 
task force, there is no such thing as medical marijuana because it remains 
an illegal drug under federal law. Task force agents follow their own leads 
and decide whether to pursue cases. Sheriff Bill Cogbill said local law 
enforcement is pleased with the overall working relationship and extra 
resources provided by both federal and state resources.

"It's working better than we thought it might," he said. "Clearly (the 
prior task force) had problems, but we seem to have worked those out. I've 
not heard a substantive concern about the operation since we reconfigured 
it," said Santa Rosa Police Cmdr. Scott Swanson. Sales and manufacturing of 
methamphetamines have dominated the local drug crime scene for years. 
Coupled with a steady load of marijuana and other drug cases, there is 
enough work for both groups, say law enforcement officials. In the 1980s, 
former law enforcement leaders wanted to form a task force to better handle 
the area's drug issues, which often spread beyond city and county 
jurisdictions. But the idea stalled because of funding problems or 
complications from trying to combine multiple police efforts.

In 1988, Sonoma County voters turned down a measure aimed at raising taxes 
to fund a wide-ranging drug enforcement and counseling program. The larger 
police agencies then continued with their own narcotics squads. For a brief 
period, a few smaller departments joined together to make a united effort 
in their jurisdictions.

In 1999, the federal government agreed to help finance a county task force 
and provide a DEA agent to supervise local police officers and deputies. In 
its three years of operation, it produced mixed results, with fault falling 
to multiple agencies, said several law officials. And with the DEA's 
interest in larger cases, the more prevalent mid-level drug dealers weren't 
getting the attention they needed, Cogbill said. About 18 months ago, the 
lack of a clear mission by management and jurisdictional competition inside 
the task force had chiefs talking of pulling out their officers or looking 
for new leadership. At that point, law enforcement leaders asked the state 
Bureau of Narcotics Enforcement to run the task force. The BNE runs similar 
local countywide efforts in seven Bay Area counties and about 40 areas 
statewide. DEA agents decided to stay in Sonoma County and offered to 
continue including local officers in their efforts.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom