Pubdate: Thu, 21 Sep 2006
Source: Farmington Daily Times (NM)
Copyright: 2006 Farmington Daily Times
Contact:  http://www.daily-times.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/951
Author: Rhys Saunders
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/meth.htm (Methamphetamine)

TASK FORCE LEADERS DISCUSS PLAN OF ATTACK

FARMINGTON -- During the first day of the San Juan Safe Communities 
Initiative Summit, local task force representatives discussed plans 
for a united front against a growing methamphetamine epidemic.

 From 10 a.m. until noon Wednesday at the Farmington Civic Center, 
six speakers talked about the various elements that comprise a 
community effort to decrease meth use and sales. The presentations 
focused on five separate task forces focused on gangs, prevention, 
intervention, law enforcement and legislative developments.

All presenters agreed the issue is one that requires a long-term 
commitment from many community players, not just law enforcement officials.

Farmington City Councilor Dan Darnell said the United States makes up 
six percent of the world's population, yet its citizens consume 60 
percent of the world's drugs.

Locally, methamphetamine is the root of a majority of all violent and 
property crimes, according to San Juan County Sheriff Bob Melton.

Most of the methamphetamine coming into San Juan County is provided 
by Mexican drug cartels with deeply embedded community contacts, Darnell said.

For nearly 40 years, the county addressed the escalating drug problem 
by heavily funding suppression efforts.

"We thought we could arrest our way out of the problem," said 
Darnell, a former Farmington police officer.

In recent years, community members recognized the need for a better 
plan of attack, providing funds for several organizations to enhance 
suppression, intervention, treatment and enforcement options, he said.

District Attorney Lyndy Bennett discussed three legislative proposals 
to further prevent methamphetamine use and sales within the community.

Bennett noted that although the state addressed methamphetamine 
concerns during the January legislative session, there is still room 
for improvement.

The first proposal calls for a statute that would make it illegal for 
people to be under the influence of controlled substances, Bennett said.

In New Mexico, a person cannot be arrested merely for being a drug 
addict, he said. Creating such a law would give police an additional 
tool to address the meth problem by allowing officers to take action 
before other drug-associated crimes are committed.

The second proposal calls for mandatory screening and reporting of 
methamphetamine use.

District AdvertisementJudge John Dean, who talked about judicial 
intervention in methamphetamine cases, said it is a difficult task to 
sentence people.

"What I would like to see is standardized, independent assessment," 
he said. "It's powerful stuff to have someone who doesn't know you 
tell you something about yourself."

He added that there is a continual need for options because New 
Mexico has a deficient supply of secure treatment facilities.

"A little jailhouse therapy is where it should start," he said.

Bennett also discussed a third proposal that would "put embezzlement 
charges on the same legal plane as other theft crimes."

Under state statute, embezzlement of small dollar amounts cannot be 
aggregated into a greater felony charge, he said. This allows a drug 
addict or user to take small amounts to fuel their vice and avoid 
felony charges.

"Several recent cases have resulted in thousands of dollars of loss 
to local businesses and non-profit organizations without significant 
penalty to the offender," states a July letter from San Juan Safe 
Communities Initiative to the Legislature.

By allowing smaller embezzlement charges to be aggregated into a 
larger felony charge, the user or addict has more available options 
through the judicial system if methamphetamine is the underlying 
cause of the charge.

Regardless of potential litigation changes, all speakers agreed the 
community must move forward with a unified understanding to 
effectively address the issue of drug abuse.

The summit continues today at the Farmington Civic Center. Keynote 
speakers include New Mexico Drug Czar Herman Silva and CYFD Community 
Service Manager Tami Spellbring, who are scheduled to address 
attendees at 9 a.m. Registration begins at 8 a.m., followed by 
opening remarks from the mayors of Farmington, Bloomfield and Aztec 
at 8:30 a.m. The afternoon session begins at 1 p.m., followed by a 
summit wrap-up at 1:30 p.m.
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MAP posted-by: Beth Wehrman