TASK FORCE FOCUS IS DRUGS

'We Don't Always Boast,' Says Pd Boss

The most common question area law enforcement officials hear from the
public about drugs is: Why aren't you doing anything?

In a Friday presentation, representatives of the Fort Dodge Police
Department, the Webster County Sheriff's Department and the Iowa
State Patrol responded. They emphasized what has been a recent push
to crack down on drugs - especially methamphetamine.

"Law enforcement is taking a big hit on not doing enough on drug
enforcement," said acting Fort Dodge Police Chief Doug Utley.

The agencies have teamed up to form the Fort Dodge Webster County
Narcotics Task Force.

The task force has conducted more than a dozen searches and made
several arrests this year. Members say they want to let the public
hear about their accomplishments.

"We don't always boast about our accomplishments," said Utley,
admitting that, because of their nature, drug investigations are
secretive and that can be frustrating for people providing police tips.

Narcotics investigator Deputy Mike Halligan presented a list of
people convicted in federal court of drug offenses. Most recently
Leodan Vasquez, 31, was convicted of conspiracy to distribute meth
and possession of meth with the intent to distribute. He faces a
mandatory minimum sentence of 20 years in federal prison on the
conviction. Evidence in his trial showed Vasquez and others conspired
to distribute more than 500 grams of meth from June 2006 until his
arrest August 2007.

On Jan. 8, the task force made another major dent in the area drug
trade with the arrest of Nikki Rae Kurtzuba, 27. She is alleged to
have distributed more than 150 pounds of meth in the area over a
six-month to one-year period leading to her arrest. She is awaiting
trial in federal court in Sioux City.

Currently 17 people are awaiting trial in federal court on charges
stemming from investigations by the task force. Another 15 cases are
being actively investigated, said Halligan.

"We've put a large dent in the amount of methamphetamine coming into
Fort Dodge," he said.

Meth isn't the only drug officials are cracking down on.

Task force and Division of Narcotics Enforcement, Drug Enforcement
Administration task force from Sioux City, and K9 units from the Iowa
State Patrol and the sheriff's offices in Webster and Wright counties
executed seven search warrants simultaneously in Fort Dodge Jan. 30.

Demetrius Gully, 27, LaMarcus Lamar Gully, 22, and Jeremy Dupree
Terrell, 19, were taken into custody by the U.S. marshal's office and
now face federal charges of distributing crack cocaine.

"We're going to make it very difficult for anyone who wants to sell
drugs here," said Webster County Sheriff Brian Mickelson.

Two new sheriff's deputies have been added to the office to work drug
cases. The office also received funding for a second canine unit to
work narcotics. Also joining the task force is a state analyst who
keeps track of dealers and their networks for investigators. The
county added $100,000 to sheriff's office budget to make those moves possible.

"We do know in fact we have a drug problem in Webster County," said
Supervisor Greg Nolting. "We want to do something about it."

The push has also caught some statewide attention.

Gary Kendell, director of the governor's office of drug control
policy, attended the presentation and said he was glad to see Fort
Dodge area law enforcement taking an initiative against meth. He
noted that anecdotal reports of the street value of meth in Fort
Dodge is lower than state average. An ounce of meth goes for about
$900 in Fort Dodge compared to about $1,200 in Des Moines, he said.

"What that tells us is there's too much of it here," Kendell said.

The push against dealers is double-edged sword, Kendell added.
Manufacturing of meth declined when a new law made pseudoephedrine,
an ingredient in cold medicine that is used to make meth was
classified as a controlled substance and limited its sale. Now
manufacturers go to multiple stores to buy their limit and meth labs
are on the rise again.

"It's a good news-bad news situation," Kendell said. "Fort Dodge is a
microcosm of that."

As if on cue, shortly after the presentation, task force members
entered a home at 2658 Fourth Ave. N. on a narcotics search warrant.

Agents on the scene allegedly found materials used for making meth in the home.

Tips from dealers and citizens led investigators to the house.

"Citizen involvement is key," Utley said. "That's usually where it starts."

Even if does take months to conclude.