Police urged to join anti-drug coalition

Andrew Glazer

COSTA MESA -- The Costa Mesa Police Department will have better access to

drug-fighting resources -- and add to city revenues -- if it joins a

coalition of anti-drug agencies, police officials say.

But City Manager Allan Roeder counters that a Police Department report --

which says the city would generate more revenue from assets seized in

drug busts if it joins the Southern California Drug Task Force -- lacks

important information.

Police officials presented the report to the City Council, which delayed

making a final decision, last Monday. The council will discuss the issue

at its March 30 meeting.

“The financial figures were not complete,” Roeder said Monday. “And I

wanted to make sure to be focused on law enforcement and not some notion

that the city would be receiving a windfall of financial gain.”

Lt. Ron Smith, a detective commander with the Costa Mesa Police

Department, said redeploying one of the department’s nine narcotics

officers to the task force would “help cut off the big suppliers.”

The officer would join representatives from about 30 other city, state

and federal anti-drug agencies -- including the United States Department

of Justice and the Drug Enforcement Administration -- in investigating

regional drug trends. Some revenue from the sale of boats, cars and homes

seized by the coalition in drug arrests are distributed among the 30

member agencies.

But Smith stressed that judges, not the anti-drug agencies, decide where

revenue from seized property should go.

“It isn’t like King George,” he said.

But he said he expects city revenues to increase if the city joins the

task force. Member agencies equally divide the money judges allot to the

coalition.

“The [task force] covers a wider area,” Smith said. “Joining it will

increase the number of crooks you’re going to catch, drugs you’re going

to seize and assets seized.”

Money seized can only be used to expand drug-fighting programs.

A group of nearly 10 Orange County residents at last week’s City Council

meeting questioned the regional drug-fighting alliance. Most were

concerned about the fairness of seizing property.

“I wonder if the city should get in bed with the DEA,” said Gordon

Wilson, an Aliso Viejo-based activist. “The DEA is a violent gang. And

the drug war is destroying us.”

Smith said Costa Mesa residents have nothing to fear.

“The federal government is not running amok,” he said.