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The Bureau of Narcotic Enforcement is terminating regional task force services, according to the California Attorney General's office.
“Yes, we are withdrawing the task force,” press secretary Lynda Gledhill said Friday. “Because of budget cuts, we're unable to continue funding.”
Siskiyou County Sheriff Jon Lopey said Friday that he is “very concerned” about losing the task force. “If that happens, it will be a major blow to law enforcement throughout the north state,” Lopey said. He said he has begun preliminary talks with the US Drug Enforcement Administration and the US Attorney's Office about what can be done to replace the services lost by the cutback.
“I believe the governor and the attorney general have been very unresponsive and insensitive to the needs of Siskiyou County law enforcement administrators in withdrawing BNE task force support,” Lopey declared. “The state is imposing additional criminal investigative responsibilities and costs on local law enforcement authorities. This will have dire consequences.”
The Bureau of Narcotic Enforcement is the oldest narcotic enforcement bureau in the United States, according to the BNE website. Its programs target major drug dealers, violent career criminals, clandestine drug manufacturers and violators of prescription drug laws. In the mid 1970s, the BNE initialized regional task forces in recognition of the need of local jurisdictions for a concentrated effort against drug traffickers.
Lopey said that the Siskiyou County-Wide Interagency Narcotic Task Force has been supporting local drug enforcement operations for many years “I've been a board member, on and off, for the past 19 years,” he stated.
He said the task force provides crucial training, as well as assistance with drug-enforcement-related investigations. “One of the big benefits of BNE is multi-jurisdictional drug trafficking investigations, which cross city, county, state and international boundaries,” Lopey explained.
He stressed that these services are needed in the county, and especially now.
“It's an ill-advised time to withdraw any level of support for drug enforcement,” Lopey exclaimed. “It's a terrible time!” Referring to the state realignment program begun last month, he continued, “In the next two to three years, 40,000 state prisoners will be released to local jurisdictions. Many of those people are drug offenders. Some are dealers, some traffickers.”
Realignment shifts responsibility from the state to individual counties for incarceration, treatment and parole of “non-non-non” offenders – meaning non-violent, non-sexual and non-serious offenders, according to Lopey. It also extends the length of time an inmate may be incarcerated in county jail.
The Bureau of Narcotic Enforcement is terminating regional task force services, according to the California Attorney General's office.
“Yes, we are withdrawing the task force,” press secretary Lynda Gledhill said Friday. “Because of budget cuts, we're unable to continue funding.”
Siskiyou County Sheriff Jon Lopey said Friday that he is “very concerned” about losing the task force. “If that happens, it will be a major blow to law enforcement throughout the north state,” Lopey said. He said he has begun preliminary talks with the US Drug Enforcement Administration and the US Attorney's Office about what can be done to replace the services lost by the cutback.
“I believe the governor and the attorney general have been very unresponsive and insensitive to the needs of Siskiyou County law enforcement administrators in withdrawing BNE task force support,” Lopey declared. “The state is imposing additional criminal investigative responsibilities and costs on local law enforcement authorities. This will have dire consequences.”
The Bureau of Narcotic Enforcement is the oldest narcotic enforcement bureau in the United States, according to the BNE website. Its programs target major drug dealers, violent career criminals, clandestine drug manufacturers and violators of prescription drug laws. In the mid 1970s, the BNE initialized regional task forces in recognition of the need of local jurisdictions for a concentrated effort against drug traffickers.
Lopey said that the Siskiyou County-Wide Interagency Narcotic Task Force has been supporting local drug enforcement operations for many years “I've been a board member, on and off, for the past 19 years,” he stated.
He said the task force provides crucial training, as well as assistance with drug-enforcement-related investigations. “One of the big benefits of BNE is multi-jurisdictional drug trafficking investigations, which cross city, county, state and international boundaries,” Lopey explained.
He stressed that these services are needed in the county, and especially now.
“It's an ill-advised time to withdraw any level of support for drug enforcement,” Lopey exclaimed. “It's a terrible time!” Referring to the state realignment program begun last month, he continued, “In the next two to three years, 40,000 state prisoners will be released to local jurisdictions. Many of those people are drug offenders. Some are dealers, some traffickers.”
Realignment shifts responsibility from the state to individual counties for incarceration, treatment and parole of “non-non-non” offenders – meaning non-violent, non-sexual and non-serious offenders, according to Lopey. It also extends the length of time an inmate may be incarcerated in county jail.
With the jail set to overflow, Lopey said he fears many drug offenders will be released.
Lopey reported knowing about the threat to BNE task force services for quite a while, and before the final word came in Thursday he had contacted federal agencies for help. “I've been asking for support from the Drug Enforcement Administration and the US Attorney's Office,” he said. “What I was trying to do was proactively offset the huge impact of the task force withdrawal from Siskiyou County.”
He said that after contacting the federal enforcement agencies he was encouraged. “They're going to provide assistance,” he said. “They're going to provide training and help with a major drug enforcement investigation.”
He declined to speak further on the matter, stating, “It's of an investigative nature. I can't comment.”
