By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter
CHEHALIS – The local multi-jurisdictional team of drug detectives seized more than 60 pounds of drugs in its first year of operation, not including marijuana or illegal pills, according to its just released year-end report.
The Joint Narcotics Enforcement Team is made up of officers from the Centralia Police Department, the Chehalis Police Department and the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office.
Chehalis Police Chief Glenn Schaffer this morning shared the 2015 statistics, showing the group served more than 60 search warrants and made 139 felony drug arrests last year.
“Sheriff Rob Snaza, Chief Carl Nielsen, and Chief Glenn Schaffer all agree that what JNET has been able to accomplish has been truly impressive, and we look forward to continuing to pool our resources and work together to combat drugs and drug related crimes that negatively affect our communities,” he stated in news release.
Other numbers from the report include:
• 27 other drug-related arrests
• 74 outstanding arrest warrants cleared
• 117 guns confiscated
• 141 pounds of marijuana confiscated
• 1,022 marijuana plants seized
• Almost 9,000 illegal narcotic pills seized
The 61 pounds of drugs scooped up by JNET were comprised of more than 42 pounds of methamphetamine, over five pounds of cocaine and 14 pounds of heroin, according to Schaffer.
The three agency leaders vow to continue to investigate cases that range from low level dealers, to upper level suppliers and couriers county-wide.
Tags: By Sharyn L. Decker, news reporter
I thought Forrest Amos was responsible for all the narcotic pills in Lewis County.
Whatever happened to the poor Tacoma lady that they arrested on gun charges? Something was shady about that. Some connection between one of the men she had protection orders against and JNET. Personal vendetta?
And they aren’t reporting all of the cash they scooped up and where it went.
I’d really like to see these figures that they are claiming broken down. Obviously I do not know of all the busts that JNET has conducted, but looking back at the stories that have been posted on Sirens over the past year the only conclusion that I can come to is that their numbers are ridiculously inflated.
42 pounds of meth? That is over 3 lbs per month. Didn’t happen. 11 pounds of heroin? That would be nearly a pound per month. Certainly didn’t happen. 5 pounds of coke? The only coke bust I’ve even read about was the one about a month ago (because there is absolutely no coke market around here) and that was for a quarter pound. As far as the pot goes here is an idea…leave it alone. It was voted by the public to be legalized. The state are the ones putting these stupid restrictions on amounts, etc. because they want to profit from it. The reality is the voting public wants it legal and they don’t care if somebody has 2 grams or 2 pounds. So why don’t you honor the wish of your constituents and just let it be?
All I am saying is quit deceiving the public with these fairy tale figures to justify the existence (therefore funding) of the latest “task force.” Please release the information that backs up the numbers you give. That would actually be a great way to show the effectiveness of JNET if the numbers can be verified. That would be great advertising for them and if they can show this I will be the first person to say I was wrong and apologize. I’ll even make a donation. So please verify your claims to us. Don’t just throw out numbers and expect us to blindly accept them.
i dont know about them killing old people.
Lets not forget red tape that they also abuse and murder sick people. On top of that, they keep getting cheered on by a group of rednecks, who are too ignorant to understand that they live in a police state!
Marijuana is legal. What are you doing seizing that? Oh yeh thats right you wanted the taxes at three phases and now youre stealing the bud off of people anyway. Who is the real criminals? Law Enforcement! Rolling around in a new car paid for by NARCs who help you bust lil mom and pop grow ops. WOW pillars of the community for sure. People are loosing their asses trying to grow bud because its legal and the economy sucks and the COPS and your little cousin drug dealers come in and STEAL. Law enforcement is the biggest seller of meth there is. Most of the people they bust are approached by law enforcement with a business proposition. Others are not even busted and have to pay for protection in order to continue.