CITY THROWS SUPPORT BEHIND METH FIGHT

Junction Expected To Spend More Than $500,000 On Street Crimes Unit

The city of Grand Junction is expected to spend more than $500,000
this year and next on a new Street Crimes Unit to attack the area's
methamphetamine problem at the neighborhood level, targeting everyday
users and dealers who are currently slipping through law enforcement's fingers.

Interim Grand Junction Police Chief Bill Gardner presented details
about the proposed special police force last week to the Grand
Junction City Council, which gave tentative approval to the plan.
Council members likely will authorize a supplemental budget
appropriation next month.

The Street Crimes Unit will be made up of four additional Grand
Junction police officers and a sergeant who will work with the Drug
Enforcement Administration Western Colorado Drug Task Force to
specifically target neighborhoods and crack down on meth users and
dealers and crimes related to meth, such as identify theft, fraud and
burglaries.

Authorities say there is a gap in current drug enforcement in the
Grand Valley between the Drug Task Force, which works on complex
cases, and an officer who happens upon drug activity during routine
patrol. They say there are no resources dedicated to dealing with
drug use, addiction and distribution at the street level.

"We are not doing a very good job, because of limited resources, of
working the neighborhood," Gardner said.

Gardner said the DEA Task Force prioritizes its cases, leaving some
investigations to take a long time to start or finish. He said there
are "stacks" of Crime Stoppers tips about drug activity that law
enforcement officers haven't been able to address.

"Officers are frustrated knowing there are offenders out there who
they can't catch right now because they don't have time," Gardner said.

Officers in the Street Crimes Unit will be deployed primarily in the
evening and early morning hours, or as criminal activity dictates,
but will not respond to 911 calls. The officers will be uniformed and
drive unmarked vehicles.

The city plans to roll out the Street Crimes Unit in January, but
police want to launch a trial program starting this summer using
school resource officers, Gardner said.

The Street Crimes Unit is expected to cost the city $210,000 this
year and $306,000 next year. The money will pay for the salaries of
the officers, two police vehicles, uniforms and other equipment.
Funding will come from the revenue generated by the city's 2.75
percent sales tax.

City Manager Kelly Arnold encouraged the council to support the
specialized police unit, calling it a "well thought-out" program.

He cautioned council members, though, they may be funding a permanent
initiative.

"This is a long-term decision, I think, that we're making," Arnold said.