Pubdate: Sun, 12 Jul 2009
Source: Tribune, The (Greeley, CO)
Copyright: 2009sThe Greeley Publishing Co.
Contact:  http://www.greeleytribune.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/3165
Author: Sharon Dunn, Staff Writer

IN WAR ON DRUGS, GREELEY SMOKES 'EM

Greeley and Weld County undercover officers are taking  more suspected
drug dealers off the streets.

Since May, authorities have levied almost 40 felony  cases against at
least 14 suspected drug dealers in  Weld County, many in Greeley.
That's not including the  36 cases from two busts they sent up to
federal courts  in that time.

Overall, Greeley tops the region in narcotics arrests  - including
everything from possession to distribution  - with 407 in 2008,
according to the recently released  Colorado Bureau of Investigation
Crime in Colorado  Report. Even though the number of drug-related
arrests  in Greeley in 2008 were down 17 percent from 2007, the 
volume still tops Loveland and Fort Collins by about  100 each.

Authorities wouldn't say the number of recent arrests  are any more
than other years, but did note that it's a  part of their continued
crusade to clean up the  streets.

"The short answer is we're taking a much more  aggressive response
toward drug dealers, weapons  sellers and gang members, and putting
more resources  into that than we ever had before," said Greeley
Police  Chief Jerry Garner. "I think you're seeing the results  of
some added pressure our officers are putting on  them. We're not
solving the problem, but we're going to  make it better and better."

The reason for the rash of arrests also may just be the  timing of the
cases that officers work, said Mark  Jones, the lieutenant in charge
of the Weld County Drug  Task Force. It takes time for officers to
develop the  cases, and it may be that they have come to their 
natural conclusion at the same time.

"Sometimes, we'll work a number of cases, then clean up  a bunch of
them at the same time, so you see a spike,"  Jones said.

The task force typically investigates about 185 drug  distribution
cases a year, with an average of 140-150  arrests, Jones said. In
2008, it made 154 arrests,  which was up significantly from the 116 in
2007 but  down from 162 cases in 2006.

And that, he said, is only limited by the number of  officers working
the streets.

"If we had more manpower, we'd get a lot more cases,"  Jones said. "I
honestly and firmly believe if you just  gave up and quit working
(these cases), it would be  catastrophic."

Garner said Greeley police have been bolstered by five  additional
officers the city council approved last  year, three of whom act as
"utility outfielders" --  helping out where the city needs them,
whether they're  concentrating on a specific pocket of crimes, chasing
 fugitives or helping the drug task force, which has  just seven
officers working the streets.

The task force also works with federal agencies such as  the Bureau of
Alcohol, Tobacco and Fire Arms, the Drug  Enforcement Agency, FBI and
Immigration and Customs  Enforcement on many cases. As a result, many
cases are  filed in U.S. District Court. Jones said the  consequences
criminals face in the federal system  compared to state are much more
severe, but the federal  system doesn't take all cases presented to
it.

The feds did take the cases on a recent bust in late  April, where the
task force took down 29 suspects in a  drug network in southern Weld
County.

"It was a drug organization involving a fairly large  quantity of dope
in a large area or network, if you  will," Jones said. "The whole
network, it was being  supplied out of Mexico. The bulk of network we
got was  north Denver, Longmont and south Weld County, and also  to
the mountains."

Another joint operation netted seven more arrests that  will go to
U.S. District Court, Jones said.

The latest big local bust came on June 25. Police  arrested Kenneth
Martin Lujan, 39, and Alfred Lawrence  Montano, 48, after undercover
officers set up several  buys of methamphetamine and cocaine
throughout the  month. Both men have a string of felony arrests in 
their background, and a couple of convictions.

"Lujan, the other day, and Montano, we got four ounces  on them,"
Jones said. "Four ounces is not just your  run-of-the-mill user, guys
that are just selling to  support their own habit. Four ounces is not
a cartel  ... it's certainly a mid-range dealer."

Local arrests usually don't rise to the level of larger  networks, but
taking down the mid-range dealers does  interrupt the flow of drugs
for a while. "If you're  getting someone dealing in ounces, and do
something  with them, you're hurting four to five other people 
dealing for them. You certainly take out a small pocket  of drug dealers.

"We've tried to focus the last few years on more of the  mid-to
upper-level dealers, and I think we've been  fairly successful," Jones
said.

While methamphetamines were once cheap, Jones said, the  drug wars in
Mexico have put a lid on the supply,  thereby increasing the price --
a consequence of which  may be the number of property crimes in the
area.  Cocaine, he said, has replaced meth as the drug du  jour,
mainly because of price and its availability.

"The price of meth has gone through the roof," Jones said.

Jones said while the big drug dealers are being taken  off the street,
someone's always there to replace them.

"On those cases, you make at least a short-term  impact," Jones said.
"But ultimately, someone will fill  in the gaps. Unfortunately, as
long as people in the  county and city use dope, there will be a
demand. Until  people quit using and having habits, they're going to 
be here."

The arrests likely won't decrease, however.

"I think you'll continue to see over the next three to  four months,
more of what you've seen," Jones said. 
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MAP posted-by: Richard R Smith Jr