Pubdate: Tue, 11 Jun 2013
Source: Willits News (CA)
Copyright: 2013 Willits News
Contact:  http://www.willitsnews.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/4085
Author: Jeremy Walsh

LAKE COUNTY BOS SUPPORTS DEA CONTRACT FOR MARIJUANA ERADICATION FUNDS

LAKEPORT -- The Lake County Sheriff's Office is on track to receive
$170,000 from the federal government to eradicate illicit
marijuana-growing operations in the county.

The Lake County Board of Supervisors (BOS) unanimously supported the
agreement with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) following a
nearly two-hour public debate at the Lake County Courthouse Tuesday.

"Public safety of our people, our environment and our lake is
paramount, and these funds are absolutely necessary to do this,"
District 1 Supervisor Jim Comstock said.

Renewal of the DEA-funding contract has become an annual occurrence
for the supervisors in recent years. The block of money discussed
Tuesday morning would be primarily used for helicopter operations
targeting problematic pot grows, sheriff's officials said.

"The magnitude of this problem is enormous," Lake County Sheriff Frank
Rivero told the BOS.

But a majority of the roughly 20 citizens in the BOS audience opposed
the DEA deal, and those who spoke during the meeting raised issues
such as federal agencies' stance on marijuana and the overarching
debate over the legality of medical cannabis in America.

"I have no confidence in any board that can possibly vote for this
crap," Lucerne resident Bonnie Goodwin said.

Rivero opened the public discussion by saying the efforts funded
through the DEA would focus on the expansive, harmful marijuana
operations existing in the county, and not smaller grows by people
attempting to conform with state and county pot laws.

"We concentrate our efforts and our resources, which are limited, on
the large grows, the large-scale commercial marijuana grows," the
sheriff said. "I call them commercial growers: profiteers, cartels,
the people who are growing large sums of marijuana for profit, which
bring an enormous amount of violence."

Rivero added, "I personally have not seen any indication whatsoever
from the DEA or the (U.S.) Department of Justice of them showing any
interest in prosecuting or addressing legitimate (Proposition) 215 or
legitimate compassionate care-type grows."

Lower Lake attorney Ron Green took a different view on the DEA
contract, saying, "In signing this agreement, the sheriff will in
essence be agreeing to ignore state medical marijuana laws and enforce
federal law."

"(The DEA) should be giving this county money to fight meth, not to
harass the legal marijuana growers," Green, speaking on behalf of the
Emerald Unity Coalition, added.

The local lawyer was one of a dozen opponents to express their
concerns to the BOS.

"If I was a federal officer and I was cross-trained in state and local
laws, which law would I follow first," county resident Joan Moss
asked. "If you're divided like that, which law do you follow first?"

Attempting to address some of the critics, District 3 Supervisor
Denise Rushing said, "I think there's an assumption that (the DEA)
won't come if we don't accept the money. I don't believe that."

"If we don't take the money, the DEA could take that very same money
and hire agents and send them here," she added.

District 5 Supervisor Rob Brown expressed support for the contract
because of the need for funds to purge large pot operations and halt
other crimes associated with them.

"There are huge grows that have been busted by our sheriff's
department recently that have huge caches of weapons attached to them,
they have human trafficking of minor children that are going on,"
Brown said. "Those are the kind of things that we need to continue our
efforts on, and it's a lot more prevalent than you people believe it
is."

The sheriff attempted to assure concerned citizens that he would watch
the DEA-funded operations closely. "If that federal help at some point
becomes too unruly or is outside of the parameters of what I find
acceptable, then I will revisit that question," Rivero said.

After authorizing the sheriff to sign the DEA agreement, the
supervisors immediately moved into a discussion about contracts for
helicopter services related to marijuana operations.

The deals would not only allow for aerial reconnaissance but physical
eradication as well, with some illicit grow-sites located miles away
from accessible roads, Lake County Sheriff's Capt. Chris Macedo said.

Green said he and the coalition opposed the helicopter agreements. "We
urge you to just say 'no' to this unnecessary expenditure of funds and
'no' to low-flying planes and helicopters that annoy the residents of
Lake County," he added.

The BOS unanimously approved the agreements with Richvale-based A&P
Helicopters Inc., which called for a $20,000 increase to the 2012-13
contract and $60,000 for the 2013-14 fiscal year.

The costs will be paid using grants from the DEA or U.S. Forest
Service, according to the sheriff.

Marijuana developed into a theme throughout the supervisors' meeting,
as they later talked about whether to take a position on State Senate
Bill 439. Community Development Director Rick Coel raised concerns
because he felt the proposed legislation would exempt medical
marijuana dispensaries from enforcement actions under local
nuisance-abatement processes.

Pot shops currently aren't allowed in unincorporated areas of Lake
County after the BOS deemed dispensaries illegal land-uses in late
2011.

The supervisors ultimately did not take a stance on the bill after
learning the authors planned to draft an amendment to correct
misleading language, but they did ask county staff to develop a letter
for future consideration urging SB 439 backers to clarify the proposed
law.

The BOS was set to debate a third sheriff's office request Tuesday --
a proposal to purchase 23 new duty weapons and 20 magazines -- but
department officials asked that the discussion be postponed
indefinitely.
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MAP posted-by: Matt