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News brief: What’s JNET?

By Sharyn  L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

CHEHALIS – The Chehalis Police Department has contributed a detective to a regional drug task force that has been taking shape since earlier this year in Lewis County.

A detective from the sheriff’s office has been working with the team at the Centralia Police Department which is led by a sergeant there, with two Centralia detectives.

It’s been named the Joint Narcotics Enforcement Team and year to date has already made 100 arrests and served 35 search warrants, according to Chehalis Police Chief Glenn Schaffer.

Its sole task is to go after drug dealers at every level, Schaffer told the Chehalis City Council this evening.

The police chief said regional teams for both drugs and SWAT in Lewis County are visions incoming Lewis County Sheriff Rob Snaza had when he took office in January.

Last month, Chehalis assigned a detective to the drug group, he said.

The police chief said that during his tenure, he’s seen cooperative efforts to varying degrees, with combined teams and with individual teams among police agencies in the county.

“At no time have I seen the three working together in such an organized fashion as I do now,” he said.

In just the one month Chehalis has been a part of JNET, the team has made 16 felony arrests and served eight search warrants, he said.

The Lewis County Regional SWAT team has 15 members, and is headed up by Lewis County Undersheriff Wes Rethwill.