Pubdate: Thu, 04 Oct 2012
Source: Merced Sun-Star (CA)
Copyright: 2012 Merced Sun-Star
Contact: http://www.mercedsunstar.com/284
Website: http://www.mercedsunstar.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2546
Author: Ramona Giwargis

DELAY IN CLEARING POT GARDEN CRITICIZED

After law enforcement busted a suspected illegal marijuana grow this 
week on Coffee Street, just 1,000 feet from a middle school, some 
residents were left to wonder: What took so long? And why was the 
process so difficult?

That question lingers on the mind of Jamie, 40, a mother of a high 
school-age daughter.

Jamie, who requested that her last name not be used out of fear of 
retaliation by drug cartels, lives with her family less than a mile 
from the house where the marijuana growing operation was conducted.

Located near Pioneer Elementary School on one side and Weaver Middle 
School, the Coffee Street house yielded more than 300 marijuana 
plants and 1,000 pounds of dried marijuana.

Jamie said she began noticing the distinct odor at the beginning of 
summer, especially when temperatures spiked. Jamie also noticed many 
cars driving in and out of the neighbor's home.

She saw the people who lived at the home harvest marijuana in the 
evenings, a process that continued at all hours of the day.

The most disturbing part, she said, was seeing children of all ages 
walk by the home every day. "There's too many neighborhood kids," 
Jamie said, adding that the makeshift greenhouses were visible 
through the broken down fences.

Jamie's husband called Merced police and visited the station in 
person. Both times, Jamie said, he was told, "we don't have the 
resources to go after everyone with grow houses."

Lawrence Shimrado, 47, experienced the same difficulties when he 
reported the Coffee Street operation to authorities.

Shimrado said he continued calling Merced police until Tuesday, the 
morning of the raid. "I kept calling four to five times a week," he 
said. "I was told they can't do anything about it because the law 
passed for medical marijuana."

Lt. Tom Trindad said the significantly reduced police force, from 111 
six years ago to 84 now, has impacted the department's ability to 
respond as quickly as some would like.

Trindad said the department's top priority remains violent crimes.

"Just because we have low resources doesn't mean we won't address a 
problem," Trindad said. "But it's not black or white. People are just 
going to have to be patient with us."

Frustrated, Jamie's husband called the Sheriff's Department and left 
a message. There was no response, she said. Jamie decided to take 
matters into her own hands by creating a Facebook account.

Through the power of social media and e-mail, she began to spread the 
word about the Coffee Street operation. For two months, she contacted 
local television stations, newspapers, radio stations, school 
districts and even the federal Drug Enforcement Administration in 
Sacramento. Jamie said she must have sent at least "100 messages" to 
various agencies.

But one recent Facebook message to her stood out from the rest.

Jamie posted a scathing message on Merced County Supervisor John 
Pedrozo's Facebook timeline Sunday night. The post was abruptly 
removed, but she was personally contacted by his assistant.

Monday morning, the supervisor's staff told Jamie the situation would 
be taken care of "within 24 hours."

On Tuesday morning, to Jamie's surprise and delight, she drove by 
just in time to witness Sgt. Rich Howard and his fellow agents with 
the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas task force clearing out the 
Coffee Street house.

Pedrozo couldn't be reached by press time Thursday.

Jamie doesn't take all the credit, explaining that many of her 
neighbors also were sending messages and making phone calls. And 
while she said they're relieved the marijuana operation is gone, 
they're also frustrated with the long process.

When Tuesday's raid finally came, Jamie said she thought, "It's about time."

Asked about the concerns of Coffee Street neighbors Tuesday, Sheriff 
Mark Pazin said tips by the public about potentially illegal 
marijuana grows are taken seriously. But he said that certain 
protocols need to be followed before law enforcement can serve a 
warrant or take action.

Pazin said his department receives hundreds of tips and must 
prioritize which to tackle first.

"Well, basically, we have to abide by law," Pazin said. "We have to 
abide by rules and regulations. By the time we get the tips from the 
public, by the time we put a game plan together ... it just takes time."

To determine which illegal grow houses take top priority, his team 
considers a number of factors. "It's about size, it's about location. 
It's about who we believe through our intelligence sources are more 
dangerous, that they're carrying weapons," Pazin said.

There's also limited resources to consider.

Jamie said she understands the challenges but said it's still no excuse.

"We all know there have been a lot of budget cuts. I do believe 
that's a part of it," she said. "But if priority is given to those 
near schools, this one (Coffee Street) should have been gone a long time ago."
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom