Costa Mesa to join drug task force

Andrew Glazer

COSTA MESA -- The City Council voted to join a coalition of Southern

California drug-fighting agencies Monday night.

Membership to the Southern California Drug Task Force requires the Costa

Mesa Police Department to redeploy one of its six narcotics officers to a

central Los Angeles office.

Lt. Ron Smith said doing so will allow the city to be more active in

squeezing out major drug suppliers.

“We’re adding more power to what we’re doing on our streets,” Smith told

the council.

Smith also said that as a member of the task force, the city would have

greater access to drug-fighting intelligence, high-tech surveillance

equipment and manpower.

The coalition comprises approximately 30 other city, county, state and

federal anti-drug agencies, including the U.S. Department of Justice and

the Drug Enforcement Agency.

The council delayed approving the membership at its last meeting,

agreeing that a police department report on the task force lacked

important information.

The report suggested that joining the task force would bring the city

increased revenue from money, cars and homes seized in drug arrests.

However, it did not determine how much it would cost the city to join the

regional force.

A revised report said the city will still be responsible for paying the

redeployed officer’s salary, benefits and overtime, which amount to about

$90,000. The DEA will reimburse the city for approximately $8,800 of the

officer’s overtime pay.

Councilwoman Linda Dixon, who eventually voted for the membership, asked

Smith why the city should reshuffle the city’s successful narcotics unit.

“We continue attacking at street level without narcotics officers and

attack the suppliers and major cartels with our task force,” responded

Smith. “If we only concentrate on one, I’m afraid we’d never get a lid on

it.”