Source: Gazette-Telegraph (CO) Contact: 14 Jul 1998 Author: Mark Beresky, SCA-NAMA Note: The original column contained 3 separate stories. This is one of them. OOPS, AGAIN Bad raids are old story in drug war It's not every day that a city's authorities carry out a raid on one of their own elected leaders. Which makes it all the more embarrassing when the raid comes up empty. Such was the case recently at the private offices of Denver City Councilwoman Debbie Ortega, where the Metro Gang Task Force, a joint effort by Denver and Aurora police, paid an unexpected visit Officers conduct big the "no-knock" raid had a warrant to search for ille-gal drugs and a vehicle that may have been used to trans-part them. It found nothing of the sort. Now Denver Police Chief Dave Michaud is apologizing to Ortega and the task force is paying for damage to the offices. Such raids gone wrong are getting to be a staple of out society's War on drugs. Sometimes, as in Ortega's case, someone's reputation is tarnished. Sometimes it's much worse: It's not only the wrong address, but the innocent occupants axe roughed up, even killed in the commotion and confusion. Michaud, in a letter to Ortega, has assured her police have no information suggesting her involvement in any crime. Of course, it's a bit late for that, now. - --- Checked-by: Mike Gogulski