COUNTY GETS $250K GRANT TO FIGHT METH

State grants from the Office of Emergency Services will help
Calaveras and Tuolumne counties' sheriff's offices fight methamphetamine.

Out of $29 million the governor distributed statewide for the
California Multi-Jurisdictional Methamphetamine Enforcement Team
program, Calaveras County Sheriff's Department received $295,000 and
Tuolumne County Sheriff's Office received $250,000 to combat
methamphetamine trafficking and manufacturing.

Calaveras County Undersheriff Mike Walker said the money will pay for
a sergeant, two deputies, an Angels Camp police officer and a
half-time Child Protective Services officer.

Today, the Calaveras County Board of Supervisors is expected to
approve these new positions when they meet to discuss the grant, Walker said.

Walker said his officers will specifically target methamphetamine
labs in the county.

"Even the small ones have a tremendous impact on our community by
supplying a large amount of meth," Walker said. "These labs are
polluting our groundwater, and any kids who live in the home where
the meth is being made are being subjected to drug abuse."

Tuolumne County Sheriff's Office plans to disclose Wednesday how the
$250,000 will be spent. Sheriff's Lt. Dan Bressler said part of the
money will be used to bring a Sonora police officer to the sheriff's
narcotics team.

More than $12 million of the state grant went to counties in the
Central Valley while $1.46 million went to Imperial and San Diego counties.

The money was distributed according to proportional needs of each
county as determined by an advisory board made up of county sheriffs,
district attorneys, chief probation officers and city police chiefs
from all over the state.