Pubdate: Wed, 27 May 2009 Source: Red Bluff Daily News (CA) Copyright: 2009 Red Bluff Daily News Contact: http://redbluffdailynews.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1079 Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v09/n537/a08.html Author: Larry Castillo WRITER OVER CORRECTS ON BLACK ICE OPERATION Editor: I would like to respond to Mr. McBath's letter to the editor in the Daily News on Tuesday, May 19. His comment that he has numbers that "everybody understands" confuses me. It appears that Mr. McBath does not understand his own numbers. It is a fair estimate that law enforcement officers receive an average of $40-$50 per hour paid by their respective city, county, state or federal agencies. This wage is paid regardless if the agent, officer, deputy, detective is sitting at a desk with his feet up, watching a soap opera or investigating, patrolling, serving warrants, making arrests, conducting searches, transporting or housing inmates or any other high risk duties to his life and welfare. An officer does not receive an extra $40 per hour if he does an investigation of a crime, obtains an arrest warrant and takes into custody an armed parole violator that really does not want to go back to prison. One that is capable and willing to use deadly force to keep from being arrested. He just puts his life on the line and does the job at prevailing wage. Another confusing point is the comment about high paid officials' pay. A chief of police, sheriff or head of a law enforcement agency is on a fixed salary and does not receive any extra compensation for their respective agencies' operations, whether successfully performed or not. Mr. McBath claims that 63 people were arrested, however, no big time dealer arrests justified the perceived or phantom extra cost of the Black Ice operation. Small-time drug dealers aspire to become big-time dealers. More drugs sold, more deals equal more money. Mr. McBath states that 36 small-time dealers arrested do not justify the perceived expense. I am sorry, but I believe that 36 small-time dealers not selling drugs to our kids and grand kids, make the cost justifiable. If you believe that the small-time dealers should have the opportunity to sell drugs to our kids because the cost to stop them is prohibitive, then you must agree with Mr. McBath. Public comments that put down or belittle the efforts of our law enforcement officers who put their lives in jeopardy for our safety and welfare do a great disservice to our law enforcement community. What has Mr. McBath done for the safety of our community? Larry Castillo, Gerber - --- MAP posted-by: Richard Lake