Pubdate: Wed, 07 Sep 2005
Source: Herald Journal, The (UT)
Copyright: 2005 The Herald Journal
Contact:  http://www.hjnews.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2485
Author: Tyler Riggs

DRUG TASK FORCE CELEBRATES ACCOMPLISHMENTS ON T-SHIRT

Looking for a way to pat themselves on the back, members of the Cache-Rich 
Drug Task Force decided the easiest way would be to wear their 
accomplishments on their back.

Logan City Police Officer Jeff Simmons recently was promoted to sergeant in 
the department's patrol division, and with the change in duties, left 
behind his job as a task force agent. As sort of a going-away present, the 
task force created a T-shirt that lists 100 search warrants the group 
served from April 2004 to August 2005.

"There's strike forces in Salt Lake City and Salt Lake County that don't 
have that many (search warrants served)," Logan Police Sgt. Bret Randall 
said. "We just wanted to let the bad guys know that we're coming."

The Cache-Rich Drug Task Force is charged with investigating drug use in 
the two counties and, after gathering enough evidence to obtain a search 
warrant, making arrests of drug users. The group searched about 100 homes 
during the 17-month period detailed on the shirt, which was the most 
they've ever done in such a time period.

Randall said each search warrant requires about five hours of paperwork, 
then agents have to serve the warrant and search homes for substances such 
as marijuana, methamphetamine, cocaine, heroin and oxycontin. He said the 
T-shirts, which include the words "Coming to a door near you," were a fun 
way to acknowledge the work agents on the task force have done.

"We're working hard and taking drugs off the streets," Randall said. "We've 
got to make the druggies aware."
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MAP posted-by: Elizabeth Wehrman