DRUG TASK FORCE FACES MONEY BUST

Local law enforcement officials are scraping together money as grants
funding the 22nd Judicial District Multi-Jurisdictional Drug Task
Force threaten to dry up.

"We have been able to save some grants," Roy Lane, Cortez Police
Department chief and task force board member said. "Hopefully, that'll
keep the doors open a little longer."

A majority of funding for the program comes from federal grants. Two
grants from the U.S. Department of Justice, totalling $98,000 are set
to expire Sept. 30. In addition, a one-time $133,280 grant from two
years ago is nearly depleted, Lane said.

Participating agencies including the CPD, 22nd District Attorney's
office, Montezuma County Sheriff's Office and Dolores County Sheriff's
Office do not directly fund the task force, Lane said, although
several of the participating personnel are on their payroll. The
salary of one of the three task force officers is funded through the
expiring grants.

At a Tuesday board meeting, Montezuma County Sheriff Gerald Wallace
said funding for the task force vehicles and an additional cellular
phone is not a problem, but he was concerned about having to cut two
employees from the task force.

"There's not enough money for these two," he said. "Without these two,
it's not going to fly."

Wallace and Lane both said their respective agencies are facing
smaller budgets for the coming year, and would have difficulty
contributing to the task force. They estimated the task force faced a
$110,000 to $120,000 shortfall.

Lane said the task force was founded in 1998 to dedicate officers to
drug investigation. He task force agents spend time analyzing drugs,
conducting surveillance and setting up drug busts. He said this grants
patrol officers and detectives time to focus on their work. Task force
agents made 106 arrests between 2006 and 2009.

"If it goes away, it's going to be a real hindrance for this county,"
Lane said.

In addition to drug enforcement, Lane said information provided by
task force informants has proved useful in the investigation of
homicides and other crimes. He said most crime is connected to either
alcohol or drugs.

"Drugs are one of those things you have to continually work," Lane
said. "I don't think anybody will tell you we're going to stop the
drug trade. But we have to do what we can."

It is not yet clear how the rise of medical marijuana regulation will
impact the task force. A task force agent present at the meeting said
he thinks it would increase the workload of agents. District Attorney
Mac Myers said he was concerned medical regulation by the task force
would divert attention from methamphetamine enforcement. Lane said he
believes regular officers can handle marijuana enforcement.

Lane said the narcotics trade has changed significantly since the
founding of the task force more than a decade ago. He said it started
out with cocaine and heroin enforcement and is now approximately 75
percent methamphetamine.

The 22nd Judicial District covers Dolores and Montezuma
Counties.

Myers said he does not think it is possible to win the 'war on
drugs.'

"But if you can't contain it, you're in trouble," he said.