County Drug Cops Say Meth Lab Seizures Down in 2009

BUTTE POT GAINING UNWANTED NATIONAL REPUTATION FOR QUALITY

CHICO -- Officials with the Butte Interagency Narcotics Task Force
said this week in a review of activity for 2009, that methamphetamine
lab seizures were way down, but processed marijuana was confiscated
in record amounts.

Part of the reason might be the increase in medical marijuana grows,
where pot exceeding the limit for personal use is often confiscated.

Another reason may be the reputation pot grown in Butte County has
acquired for high quality, said District Attorney Mike Ramsey,
current BINTF chairman.

Ramsey acknowledged pot coming from the area is regarded to be on a
par with the best-known hybrid weed from other countries, and
commonly shows up at busted drug deals on the East Coast.

"We have a lot of experienced pot growers here," Ramsey said.

He declined to state some of the "name brands" Butte marijuana has
been labeled. Processed pot from the area is currently fetching
between $5,000 and $6,000 a pound on the street, officials said.

Just nine local lab operations were raided and seized in 2009, and,
for the first time since the Drug Endangered Children Program began
in Butte County 12 years ago, no children had to be rescued from meth
manufacturing environments.

In all drug investigations, which numbered 53 last year, 78 children
were taken into protective custody. Ramsey said 47 of them tested
positive for illicit drugs in hair samples taken. Twenty-five
suspects were convicted of child endangerment.

Butte County's Drug Endangered Children Program, considered a model
others have copied, will receive $400,000 in funding through
legislation recently authored by U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein
(D-Calif.) and may be in line to get another $500,000 in support.

Ramsey said a physician's assistant is now working with the program
to better determine the immediate medical needs of children exposed to drugs.

In raids last year, BINTF agents seized more than 649,000 grams of
processed marijuana -- 1,430 pounds -- alarmingly up from the 2008
total of 253,000 grams.

Ramsey said the abuse of prescription drugs, especially by teenagers,
continues to grow in Butte County and will be a target for BINTF
activity this year.

While finances have forced some law enforcement agencies to trim
their participation in BINTF to one officer, Ramsey said special
enforcement squads like the Chico Police Department Target and Street
Crimes units have helped take up any slack.

"They've been really good at going after the smaller guys, so BINTF
can concentrate on the larger cases," he said.

Chico Police Chief Mike Maloney said the enforcement teams also share
a lot of street level intelligence with BINTF, often leading
investigations to drug dealers at higher levels.

Search warrants served in the unincorporated area of Butte County
accounted for 39 percent of BINTF's 261 arrests last year. Oroville
accounted for 22 percent, and Chico about 19 percent.

Thirty-five of those arrested were documented gang members.

Weapons seized in 2009 totaled 53, including 19 handguns.

BINTF was formed in 1985.

More information about methamphetamine in Butte County is available
on the Internet at 2stopmeth.org .