IN WAR ON DRUGS, GREELEY SMOKES 'EM

Greeley and Weld County undercover officers are taking more suspected
drug dealers off the streets.

Since May, authorities have levied almost 40 felony cases against at
least 14 suspected drug dealers in Weld County, many in Greeley.
That's not including the 36 cases from two busts they sent up to
federal courts in that time.

Overall, Greeley tops the region in narcotics arrests - including
everything from possession to distribution - with 407 in 2008,
according to the recently released Colorado Bureau of Investigation
Crime in Colorado Report. Even though the number of drug-related
arrests in Greeley in 2008 were down 17 percent from 2007, the
volume still tops Loveland and Fort Collins by about 100 each.

Authorities wouldn't say the number of recent arrests are any more
than other years, but did note that it's a part of their continued
crusade to clean up the streets.

"The short answer is we're taking a much more aggressive response
toward drug dealers, weapons sellers and gang members, and putting
more resources into that than we ever had before," said Greeley
Police Chief Jerry Garner. "I think you're seeing the results of
some added pressure our officers are putting on them. We're not
solving the problem, but we're going to make it better and better."

The reason for the rash of arrests also may just be the timing of the
cases that officers work, said Mark Jones, the lieutenant in charge
of the Weld County Drug Task Force. It takes time for officers to
develop the cases, and it may be that they have come to their
natural conclusion at the same time.

"Sometimes, we'll work a number of cases, then clean up a bunch of
them at the same time, so you see a spike," Jones said.

The task force typically investigates about 185 drug distribution
cases a year, with an average of 140-150 arrests, Jones said. In
2008, it made 154 arrests, which was up significantly from the 116 in
2007 but down from 162 cases in 2006.

And that, he said, is only limited by the number of officers working
the streets.

"If we had more manpower, we'd get a lot more cases," Jones said. "I
honestly and firmly believe if you just gave up and quit working
(these cases), it would be catastrophic."

Garner said Greeley police have been bolstered by five additional
officers the city council approved last year, three of whom act as
"utility outfielders" -- helping out where the city needs them,
whether they're concentrating on a specific pocket of crimes, chasing
fugitives or helping the drug task force, which has just seven
officers working the streets.

The task force also works with federal agencies such as the Bureau of
Alcohol, Tobacco and Fire Arms, the Drug Enforcement Agency, FBI and
Immigration and Customs Enforcement on many cases. As a result, many
cases are filed in U.S. District Court. Jones said the consequences
criminals face in the federal system compared to state are much more
severe, but the federal system doesn't take all cases presented to
it.

The feds did take the cases on a recent bust in late April, where the
task force took down 29 suspects in a drug network in southern Weld
County.

"It was a drug organization involving a fairly large quantity of dope
in a large area or network, if you will," Jones said. "The whole
network, it was being supplied out of Mexico. The bulk of network we
got was north Denver, Longmont and south Weld County, and also to
the mountains."

Another joint operation netted seven more arrests that will go to
U.S. District Court, Jones said.

The latest big local bust came on June 25. Police arrested Kenneth
Martin Lujan, 39, and Alfred Lawrence Montano, 48, after undercover
officers set up several buys of methamphetamine and cocaine
throughout the month. Both men have a string of felony arrests in
their background, and a couple of convictions.

"Lujan, the other day, and Montano, we got four ounces on them,"
Jones said. "Four ounces is not just your run-of-the-mill user, guys
that are just selling to support their own habit. Four ounces is not
a cartel ... it's certainly a mid-range dealer."

Local arrests usually don't rise to the level of larger networks, but
taking down the mid-range dealers does interrupt the flow of drugs
for a while. "If you're getting someone dealing in ounces, and do
something with them, you're hurting four to five other people
dealing for them. You certainly take out a small pocket of drug dealers.

"We've tried to focus the last few years on more of the mid-to
upper-level dealers, and I think we've been fairly successful," Jones
said.

While methamphetamines were once cheap, Jones said, the drug wars in
Mexico have put a lid on the supply, thereby increasing the price --
a consequence of which may be the number of property crimes in the
area. Cocaine, he said, has replaced meth as the drug du jour,
mainly because of price and its availability.

"The price of meth has gone through the roof," Jones said.

Jones said while the big drug dealers are being taken off the street,
someone's always there to replace them.

"On those cases, you make at least a short-term impact," Jones said.
"But ultimately, someone will fill in the gaps. Unfortunately, as
long as people in the county and city use dope, there will be a
demand. Until people quit using and having habits, they're going to
be here."

The arrests likely won't decrease, however.

"I think you'll continue to see over the next three to four months,
more of what you've seen," Jones said.