FEDERAL FUNDS SAVE DRUG TASK FORCE

The heart of war on illegal drugs in the eastern Colorado plains was in
danger because of to lack of funding. That all ended Friday with an
announcement late in a congressional hearing held here.

Late in the Congressional Field Hearing on Meth Abuse in Northern
Colorado, Rep. Marilyn Musgrave, R-Colo., said she has secured a
direct appropriation funding for the Eastern Colorado Plains Drug Task
Force for 2007.

The Amount, Musgrave said could be as much as $250,000 - similar to
the amount awarded to local law enforcement from Weld and Larimer
counties last year.

"We have a responsibility to our communities to work toward a solution
to this serious problem. The meth epidemic deserves our full attention
because of the drug's destructive nature," Musgrave said.

Rep. Mark Souder, R-Ind., chairman of the House Subcommittee on
Criminal Justice, Drug Policy and Human Resources said he has heard
moving testimony on how methamphetamine has wreaked havoc on people
and their families as he addressed the chambers in the Loveland
Municipal Building.

"I have also learned about the many positive ways that communities
have fought back, targeting the meth cooks and dealers, trying to get
addicts into treatment and working to educate young people about the
risk of meth abuse," Souder said.

Thirteenth Judicial District Attorney Bob Watson testified on the
capabilities and limitations of law enforcement in his district -
which is comprised of seven counties.

"We have 24 law enforcement agencies in the 13th judicial district.
Some of those agencies are small and some do not have a 24-hour duty,"
Watson told the subcommittee.

Watson placed an emphasis on the district's drug task force and their
accomplishments in the fight against drugs.

"We have put a lot of people behind bars and if we keep cutting the
funding, the task force will cease to exist. It's a surrender on the
war on drugs," Watson said.

Watson told the committee that his district has seen a decrease on
local "mom and pop" meth labs because of the effort and cooperation
from the seven counties through the drug task force.

"We have to stop this epidemic and people need to come together,"
Watson said, adding that one of the goals is to be ready for the next
drug craze.

"This is a fine showing that federal, state and local governments came
together to fight a problem," ECPDTF Commander Jeff Annis said shortly
after the announcement.

"I personally thank Bob Watson for testifying in front of the
committee in an effort to secure the money for us," Annis added.

"A great deal of credit goes to Watson, Musgrave and her staff who all
went out to bat for us to get us funding," Logan County Sheriff's
Office Lt. Walt Page said. "Without the funding, I foresaw the task
force gone, which is a terrible shame."

Drug Enforcement Administration Denver Field Division Special Agent in
Charge Jeffrey Sweetin testified that 80 percent of the
methamphetamine used in the U.S. comes from larger labs - the agency
calls super labs - which are increasingly found in Mexico.

"Most methamphetamine is produced by Mexico-based and California-based
drug trafficking organizations," Sweetin said, citing that the
increase of outside meth was mainly due to law enforcement's
aggressive attack on small labs, which are found mostly in rural areas.

Congressional witnesses like Larimer County Drug Task Force Commander
Craig Todd described to the committee the impact of the drug in his
jurisdiction with increases in violent crime, property crime and
identity theft.

"Meth is the primary drug threat to this state and it is readily
available in most population centers. Most methamphetamine available
in Colorado is produced by Mexican cartels and criminal groups in
California and Arizona," 8th Judicial District Attorney Larry
Abrahamsom said.

From a non-law enforcement side, the committee heard testimony from
Donita Davenport who described how her life was touched dealing with
her husband's addiction and his journey to rehabilitation.

Davenport said that her husband's addiction cost them two homes as
well as their hard-earned money.

She asked the committee to focus on education the public on the
effects of the drug to families and communities.

With the support of each jurisdiction, the ECPDTF are able to cross
jurisdictional lines in pursuit of the fight against methamphetamine
and other illegal drugs.

"This funding is extremely helpful to us. I have worked with Rep.
Musgrave regarding the funding from the time I went to meet with her
last February in Washington DC. She has tremendously supported law
enforcement," Watson said.

Plans for a regional treatment facility were also laid out which
Watson said would happen in the near future.

A board of directors is already in place and is awaiting Gov. Bill
Owens appointment for Watson to be the district attorney to represent
the facility.

"It's cheaper in the long run to send people to treatment in
comparison to incarceration," Watson said.