Pubdate: Wed, 06 Sep 2006
Source: Cibola County Beacon (NM)
Copyright: 2006 Cibola County Beacon
Contact:  http://www.cibolabeacon.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/3568
Author: Ilene Haluska
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/coke.htm (Cocaine)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/meth.htm (Methamphetamine)

METH MADNESS: LAW ENFORCEMENT

CIBOLA COUNTY - Law enforcement agencies use any means  available when
it comes to battling methamphetamine in  Cibola County, because meth
abuse results in criminal  behavior to support the habit.

Officers from New Mexico State Police, Milan and Grants  shared
information at the August meth awareness  discussion before 50 city,
village and county  officials.

New Mexico State Police Lt. Frank Musitano said the  McKinley County
Sheriff asked him why he thought  McKinley County had an increase in
burglaries,  robberies and larceny in Thoreau. Lt. Musitano  contended
that the problem was possibly drug related.  Then Lt. Musitano spoke
with the vice principal of  Thoreau Middle School, who said citizens
were upset  about the increased number of burglaries, and Lt.
Musitano learned that six middle school students tested  positive for
meth abuse.

Milan Police Chief Jerry Stephens told discussion  attendees that
Milan and Grants police departments have  the same criminal elements
… users and dealers  travel between the communities. He said
local law  enforcement agencies are members of the New Mexico  State
Police Region One Task Force, and Grants Police  Department's federal
funding for one and a half  narcotic officer positions is expected to
end Sept. 30.

"When we get complaints, we address it with our patrol  officers,"
Chief Stephens said. He said Milan police  officers have met with
village department heads, school  officials, trustees, meter readers
and animal control.  They taught the staff what to look for to prevent
meth  use and to know the signs of drug labs in people's  homes.

"We've never have been able to determine if they have  been doing any
cooking in Milan," Chief Stephens said.

He added that the village recently instituted a  neighborhood watch
program, and he asked those  residents to be the police force's eyes
and ears.

Grants Police Chief Marty Vigil said two officers are  best for
narcotics operations. He noted that he and  Grants Assistant Chief Rob
Hall are the only  experienced narcotics officers on Grants' force. He
  said the police department needs officers from outside  the
community, because dealers and users know the  identities of
undercover officers.

Chief Vigil reported to the group that in 2002 local  police took down
a meth-lab house less than 1,000 feet  away from Milan Elementary
School, and the people  prosecuted were also prosecuted for child
abuse,  because their own children lived in the house.

In 2005, GPD reported the Region One Narcotics Task  Force Grants
Office seized 64.1 grams of  methamphetamine valued at $6,410; the
amount purchased  in undercover operations totaled 5.1 grams with a
street value of $510. Meth was the highest amount  listed among the
drugs in the seizure report with  cocaine in a close second. Milan had
no seizures in  2005, reported Chief Stephens.

Chief Vigil said rural meth labs are small and mobile,  allowing the
culprits to make meth in different parts  of the community. He noted
drugs are brought in from  Deming or Phoenix. He also contended that
using patrol  officers on narcotics watches originated from
Albuquerque's police department, where officers  exchanged reports on
site while staged at a particular  location.

NMSP Lt. Frank Musitano reported criminals retaliate  against
informants so they are less likely to report  incidents. He said
people should call (888) 442-6677,  and he assured people that NMSP
will call them back and  keep their information confidential.

Facilitated by U.S. Representative Steve Pearce,  R-Dist. 2, the
methamphetamine awareness discussion is  expected to result in an
official report for Cibola  County and local officials this fall. At
that time,  local officials could address more ways to combat
methamphetamine in Cibola County.

(Editor's note: This is the fourth in a series of  articles about a
methamphetamine awareness discussion  conducted in Grants in early
August.) 
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