COUNTY NARCOTIC TASK FORCE NAMED BEST IN THE WEST

The Alameda County Narcotics Task Force, which in the last year seized
more than $5million worth of drugs and sent dozens of major dealers to
jail, has been named the best of its kind in the Western United States.

The task force received the annual Narcotics Agency of the Year award
Friday from the Western States Information Net work, which covers 900
police departments and narcotics units in California, Oregon,
Washington, Alaska and Hawaii.

In California, WSIN is part of the state Department of
Justice.

The award was presented to the task force by Jack Kerrigan, a retired
San Francisco police captain and longtime commander of its narcotic
unit, who now works for the justice department as a regional
coordinator for WISN.

The information network's goals are to support narcotics
investigations by providing intelligence data, some funding and
encouragement, officials said.

Noting it is the third time in 20 years the task force has won the
award, Kerrigan said it is a "very singular and significant honor."

Kerrigan said that in his law enforcement career "I've seen a few task
forces and narcotics bureaus, and it doesn't get any better than the
Alameda County Narcotics Task Force. It not only initiates its own
cases, it makes the cases.

"It has the perfect mix of great personnel and great leadership and
has shown an exemplary ability to work with other agencies to get the
job done. They do it with aggressiveness, honesty and integrity."

Hayward police Lt. Lloyd Myers, task force commander, said he was
proud and honored to accept the award.

He said the award "is not only for this task force, but for everyone
who has ever worked for the task force and helped the task force."

The task force, launched by Alameda County Sheriff Charles Plummer and
retired Oakland Police Chief George Hart, is composed of Alameda
County law enforcement officers as well as members of state and
federal agencies. Several former task force members have gone on to
become chiefs of police and senior law enforcement officers in various
departments.

At least two members have been named the state's Narcotics Officer of
the Year. Cur rent task force member Carl Estelle, a former Oakland
police officer now working for the state Bureau of Narcotics
Enforcement, is a finalist for this year's award.