Mendocino County Grand Jury • 2001-2002

Marijuana and Methamphetamine Suppression Efforts in Mendocino County The Grand Jury investigated the problems of

Published: August 03, 2001 7 pages
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Findings and Recommendations 23 findings

F1
COMMET consists of a Commander, one other full time officer, and three volunteer officers who help out when needed. If necessary, the unit can call on the entire law enforcement community for assistance.
No recommendations for this finding
F2
Upon referral, COMMET personnel travel to locations within Mendocino County where they cut or uproot any growing marijuana plants they find and make appropriate arrests. They transport the plants for disposal, retaining some as potential evidence. COMMET personnel indicate that they only eradicate a small percentage of the marijuana grown in the County.
No recommendations for this finding
F3
The Sheriff has determined that, given passage of Proposition 215 concerning medical marijuana and given his limited resources, he must concentrate his department’s efforts on eradication of large-scale plantings, which are obviously destined for illegal sale. Consequently, COMMET does not carry out raids on known medical plantings or on smaller patches.
No recommendations for this finding
F4
COMMET confiscates 100,000 outdoor plants and 30,000 indoor plants in an average year of operations.
No recommendations for this finding
F5
COMMET personnel carry firearms and will have them drawn at the outset of an operation; use of firearms or other physical force is limited to situations involving potential injury to officers or others.
No recommendations for this finding
F6
Testimony indicates that COMMET personnel are generally respectful of the persons and civil liberties of those they encounter and/or arrest. Law Enforcement Suppression Efforts: Methamphetamine Findings
No recommendations for this finding
F7
The Task Force operates under the supervision of the State Department of Justice, Bureau of Narcotics Enforcement. Personnel consist of two Sheriff’s deputies and one officer each from the Ukiah and Willits Police Departments and the Highway Patrol, a Probation Officer, a representative from the State Parks Department, and a representative of the District Attorney. Fort Bragg does not supply an officer, but it does help support the Task Force financially, as do the other jurisdictions.
No recommendations for this finding
F8
Total funding for the Task Force is $52,000 ($30,000 from the State and $22,000 from participating law enforcement agencies. Participating agencies provide personnel and equipment.
No recommendations for this finding
F9
The Task Force does not have enough resources to deal realistically with the meth problem in Mendocino County.
No recommendations for this finding
F10
The Task Force deals with crimes involving violence, such as homicide and assault as well as burglary and drug crimes. Drug suppression is their major mission and within that they direct their primary activities toward elimination of production, trafficking and use of methamphetamine in the County.
No recommendations for this finding
F11
Task Force officers get leads concerning meth suppliers from persons they arrest, from paid or unpaid informants, and from interested citizens who are suspicious of certain activities. Starting with that information, they work up to larger dealers. Sometimes that process gets results, but whether they actually arrest a major supplier is often a matter of luck and timing.
No recommendations for this finding
F12
Officers express frustration at having to arrest the same violators time after time. They complain that the District Attorney often charges persons arrested for possession for sale with simple possession, which allows them to get probation or Proposition 36 diversion. The District Attorney, on the other hand, cites the difficulty of getting a conviction without solid proof that sales are involved.
No recommendations for this finding
F13
Some other law enforcement officers have complained that they receive little cooperation from the Task Force in the fight against meth. But Task Force personnel contend that they don’t get adequate information from other agencies to follow up. Other Approaches to the Drug Problem: AODP Findings
No recommendations for this finding
F14
The AODP is part of the County Public Health Department and has as a mission “to promote healthy behaviors by preventing, reducing and treating alcohol and other drug abuse in Mendocino County.” Most program funding comes from federal, State, and private foundation sources.
No recommendations for this finding
F15
AODP approaches the use of alcohol and other drugs as a public health problem, though they find it hard to convince others that that is the case.
No recommendations for this finding
F16
From July to December 2001, AODP saw 855 persons; 518 were involved in the criminal justice system.
No recommendations for this finding
F17
suggests that there may be no substantial improvement of the meth problem without an upgrading of the economic and educational status of residents of the County. Response Required Board of Supervisors (Recommendations B & E–G & related Findings) Mendocino County Sheriff (Recommendations A, B, & D & related Findings) Mendocino County Task Force Governing Board (Recommendations B–D & related Findings) District Attorney Recommendation B–D & related Findings) Response Requested Director, AODP (Recommendations E–G & related Findings)
No recommendations for this finding
F18
AODP reports that persons negatively impacted by substance use take up two-thirds of hospital beds in the county.
No recommendations for this finding
F19
AODP has several options for treatment of substance users, ranging from intensive detoxification through post-detox, residential treatment, and day treatment to outpatient aftercare.
No recommendations for this finding
F20
AODP develops and circulates drug education curricula for use in the schools and encourages community based anti-substance use activities. Community Involvement in Suppression of Meth Use Findings
No recommendations for this finding
F21
Police recently arrested a local high school student for possession of meth for sale on campus.
No recommendations for this finding
F22
That incident motivated a teacher to contact Anderson Valley community leaders and agencies and bring some 30 people together at a meeting; that led to a larger community gathering on the topic of the meth problem attended by about 300 residents. Smaller groups are following up by getting together to learn ways to identify the problem and how to deal with it.
No recommendations for this finding
F23
As a result, law enforcement has stepped up its presence and anti- meth activities in that community.
No recommendations for this finding

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