POLICE PULLING OUT OF DRUG TASK FORCES

The Sacramento Department Plans To Refocus Its Efforts On Property Crimes
Committed Within The City.

The Sacramento Police Department is withdrawing four officers from joint
agency narcotics task forces that are administered by the Sacramento County
Sheriff's Department. "We want to commit our resources to combating
property crime in the city of Sacramento," police spokesman Sgt. Justin
Risley said. "It's not only about the manpower, but the expertise that
those men bring."

During the past three years, the Police Department has committed to
staffing Sacramento County's High-Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA),
California Multi-Jurisdictional Methamphetamine Enforcement Team (CALMMET)
and Crack Rock Impact Program (CRIP).

The state and federally funded programs were established to combat the
region's methamphetamine problem.

"Sacramento County is number one in the state for the use and distribution
of methamphetamines," Sacramento County Undersheriff John McGinness said.
"The overall consequence to the community is huge."

The task forces are staffed by 19 sheriff's positions and 15 positions
pulled from various agencies including the Sacramento Police Department,
Folsom Police Department, the state Department of Justice and the Drug
Enforcement Administration.

The Sacramento Police Department was allocated six positions on the task
forces. Three full-time positions and one overtime position were filled,
and members' salaries have been funded through state and federal grants.

Two positions were left vacant because the Police Department could not
spare any more of their experienced officers, Risley said.

Sacramento City Councilman Robbie Waters has questioned the city's decision
to withdraw from a state-funded program that concentrates so much of its
work on city issues.

"These are grant-funded positions, and I see no reason for the Sacramento
Police Department to pull out of the task forces," Waters said. "Why would
we want to pull out when ... at least a large portion of these crimes
happen in the city?"

From November 2001 to this month, 46 percent of the county's CALMMET
arrests were within city limits, 43 percent were in the county and 11
percent were in other jurisdictions. Since July, the CRIP program has made
36 arrests, 22 of which were in the city.

Deputy City Manager Rich Ramirez said he does not believe the city's
withdrawal will affect these figures.

"The regional effort will follow where the activity is," Ramirez said.

David Topaz, president of the Sacramento Police Officers Association, said
the police are withdrawing from the task forces over dissatisfaction with
the administration of the grants.

"This has more to do with the administration of the grants and the
difference in styles of how we would like to see the grants run," Topaz
said. "The Police Department wants to focus more on street-level narcotic
trafficking in the city."

Though no longer a member of the task forces, Risley said police officers
will continue to fight the drug problem by targeting property crimes, which
often finance drug use. During the past two years, property crime has grown
by 39 percent in the city, he said.

"We're focusing on narcotic users in the city who we believe support their
habit through property crimes," Risley said. "The task forces were a great
opportunity but we are excited about this new campaign."

This week, the Sheriff's Department will begin its search for candidates to
join the program.

"We'll fill the positions from other outside agencies," McGinness said.
"We're just the coordinator and we haven't done anything to offend them. To
pull out doesn't make any sense, but that's they're decision."