Pubdate: Fri, 16 Jun 2006
Source: Oroville Mercury-Register (CA)
Copyright: 2006 Oroville Mercury Register
Contact:  http://www.orovillemr.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2277
Author: Paula M. Felipe, Public Safety Reporter
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?115 (Cannabis - California)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/coke.htm (Cocaine)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?159 (Drug Courts)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/mdma.htm (Ecstasy)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/heroin.htm (Heroin)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/meth.htm (Methamphetamine)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/rehab.htm (Treatment)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/youth.htm (Youth)

NARCOTICS TASK FORCE ANNUAL REPORT FOR 2005

The 2005 annual report from the Butte County Interagency Narcotics 
Task Force (BINTF) was unveiled during a press conference at the 
Probation Department Thursday.

District Attorney Mike Ramsey said this report reflects BINTF's 20th 
anniversary since it was first created in October 1985.

BINTF is comprised of officers, detectives, and agents from the 
District Attorney's office, police departments of Oroville, Chico, 
Paradise, Gridley-Biggs, the Butte County Sheriff's Office, 
California Department of Justice, and the county's probation 
department. The task force originated in Oroville and has since 
expanded to include a division in Chico.

The task force investigates and arrests drug traffickers and 
violators of drug laws; networks with law enforcement agencies; 
provides training to agents; and gives public education presentations.

"BINTF's premiere agenda deals with the scourge of drugs, and it also 
gathers intelligence on criminal activity," Ramsey said.

The task force's initial goals have expanded to include surveillance 
of those on probation or parole involved with gang and drug-related 
activity. Also, BINTF identifies and arrests violators of drug laws 
while rescuing children at risk in drug environments.

"We are leading the country in innovative and effective efforts, such 
as the Drug-Endangered Children's (DEC) Program, Drug Court, and 
Prop. 36 Court," Ramsey said.

"The DEC program has saved hundreds of children's lives and has gone 
national to numerous states. Two social workers work with our task 
force to save children, and we get parents prosecuted and held 
accountable for their actions," Commander Lacey of BINTF North County said.

In 2005, the DEC team had 113 DEC investigations and BINTF responded 
to 233 children. These children received social services from family 
treatment plans to reunification and/or minimal supervision," the 
report said. There were 41 cases where endangerment charges were 
filed, and 10 children were found living in homes with drug labs, the 
report said.

Butte County's DEC team ranks third in California per capita for 
number of children rescued from meth labs. The report said DEC's 
motto is "Defend, Rescue, Shelter, Support," and the program's 
coordinator Sue Webber Brown was honored in 2005 with an award from 
the California Narcotics Officer's Association.

BINTF also focuses on prevention, education and treatment. "Meth is a 
public health crisis that affects everyone," Ramsey said. "Drug 
problems are not solved by BINTF alone." Ramsey credits BINTF for 
promoting treatment for addicts. "They do not usually look in the 
yellow pages for treatment. They get treatment after being arrested," he said.

Commanders Keith Krampitz, Vic Lacey, and Chief Wardell of the 
probation department joined Ramsey in speaking about BINTF's activities.

Wardell emphasized the importance of funding. He said a federal 
Office of Emergency Services grant funded four officers assigned to 
BINTF. Wardell thanked the City Councils of Paradise and Chico and 
the Board of Supervisors for picking up the difference. "We need 
ongoing funding to fight the meth scourge in this county. We need 
funds to not only sustain, but to increase BINTF." Ramsey also 
thanked the Department of Justice Bureau of Narcotics Enforcement for 
supporting BINTF.

The number of weapons BINTF seized totaled 152, including 45 
handguns, 56 rifles, 29 shotguns, and two illegal weapons. "This is 
the dangerous aspect because the combination of meth and weapons is 
deadly," Ramsey said.

In 2005, BINTF made 320 felony arrests and 114 arrests for 
misdemeanors, for a total of 434 arrests. This number is down from 
the previous year when 506 arrests were made.

In 2003 BINTF had 14 agents and in 2005 this number went down to 11. 
" "BINTF depends on their personnel. We used to have the CHP, Parole 
Special Enforcement Unit, Department of Corrections, and the Sheriff 
Office's had an additional grant-funded position, but those positions 
have gone away as of 2005. When bodies go down, the number of arrests 
went down too," Ramsey said.

Of the 434 arrests, 68.7 percent were drug-related and the majority 
were for meth, which accounted for 225 arrests. There were 28 
arrested for marijuana, eight for cocaine, six for cocaine base, 23 
for controlled prescription drugs, six for heroin, and two for MDMA (ecstasy).

"We've seen a rise in the use of heroin," Lacey said. Of the 
drug-related arrests, 74 were major dealers, who were arrested for 
manufacturing, dealing, and/or possession for sale of ounces to pound 
quantities of controlled substances.

Ramsey said a more potent form of meth called "ice" is being produced 
by Mexican nationals and cartels, who are also setting up "superlabs" 
and smuggling ingredients like pseudoephedrine. "We appreciate stores 
cracking down on pseudoephedrine sales," he said. Four year ago, a 
law passed limiting purchases to three packages per customers. And, a 
new federal law says pseudoephedrine is to be placed behind the 
counter, he added.

The total street value of drug seizures for the year was $1,763,655 (see box).

Non-drug related arrests totaled 136 and included 32 warrant arrests, 
23 parole violations, seven probation violations, 10 weapon 
violations, among others.

Also, of the 434 arrests, 174 were in the unincorporated areas of the 
county; 133 were in the city of Chico; and 47 were in Oroville. In 
Gridley, BINTF made 23 arrests, 51 in Paradise, two in Biggs, and 
four were out of county.

Commander Krampitz spoke of their Strategic Tactical Operations 
Program, which conducts periodic sweeps that saturate a selected 
area. "BINTF plans to continue major sweeps on a regular basis, gain 
intelligence, and arrest probation and parole violators. We also work 
in cooperation with the casinos to reduce crime," Krampitz said.

Training for BINTF agents is critical to keep up-to-date with drug 
dealers methods of concealing assets, investigative procedures, and 
handling and documenting evidence. During 2005, BINTF personnel 
received 1,293 hours of training.

BINTF gave public presentations on drug abuse and recognition, meth 
lab recognition, and the DEC program. These were also made to 
schools, civic groups, medical community, fire personnel, and law 
enforcement officers, the report said. Total number of people 
attending these public presentations is 3,504.

The advisory council in 2005 was BINTF Chairman and Chico Chief of 
Police Bruce Hagerty; two California Department of Justice special 
agents; Paradise Chief of Police Gerald Carrigan; Chief Probation 
Officer John Wardell, Oroville Chief of Police MItch Brown, Sheriff 
Reniff, Police Chiefs from Gridley-Biggs, Jack Storne and Gary 
Keeler, and D.A. Ramsey. A special thanks was mentioned in honor of 
Tammy for her dedication as BINTF secretary.

Ramsey thanked the Gridley-Biggs department. "The level of support by 
the Gridley-Biggs police is amazing," Ramsey said. "They are not a 
large agency, but donate an officer or two to BINTF each and every 
year. They are to be congratulated," he said.

For more information on the Task Force and meth, see: www.2stopmeth.org.
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MAP posted-by: Beth Wehrman