Evans Report
Sheriff John Evans Reporting: Some good news, and some bad news.
Sheriff John Evans issued a recap of the year in illegal drugs (below).
The best news is that meth use seems to be down in the county. Meth is a particularly pernicious drug. The Sheriff credits skilled policing and probation intervention.
The Sheriff notes that there is some evidence to suggest that Mexican nationals are involved in large pot grows in the county. By extension, there is the suggestion that powers outside the country are involved. Other opinions suggest that Mexican cartels grow enough pot in Mexico, and the cheapest way to get any hard work done is to hire illegals. Either way, the grows aren’t great news for the county.
It is specifically noted that the information does not include medical cannabis, for which we give a tip of the hat to the Sher’ff.
Sheriff Evans notes a continued or increased relationship between illegal drugs and other crimes. Crimes regarding prescription drugs are particularly worrisome.
The county is able to provide more complete law enforcement through cooperation with other agencies, named in the release.
Wednesday 06 January 2010, P.M.
2009 Year-End Recap of Illegal Drugs Enforcement in Sierra County
Incident: # N/A
PRESS RELEASE
For more information, contact:
Sheriff John Evans
(530) 289-3700
sheriffadmin@sierracounty.ws
Sheriff John Evans is reporting that the Sierra County Sheriff’s Office had a record breaking year in terms of illegal drug enforcement and seizures in Sierra County for the year of 2009. In the past twelve months, the sheriff’s office located and eradicated some 52,000 illegal outdoor grow marijuana plants, worth several millions of dollars in street sales. They were mainly found on the western and northern areas of the county, generally on publicly owned and recreationally used U.S.F.S. lands; and some on rural private property without the land owner’s knowledge. Evidence and other information showed that these illegal grow operations were mainly committed by Mexican nationals involved in drug trafficking organizations (D.T.O.s) for commercial profit sales. There were some 17 of these large gardens found this season. This is an increase from none last year, to the previously known County record of some 2,000 plants found in a single similar garden two years ago. The discoveries of these large operations are a strong indicator that the illegal drug traffickers have found our small and generally remote county, with the smallest sheriff’s office in the State. Sierra County’s “D.T.O.” grow operations are now rivaling other counties, and have surpassed several others. Of special notice is that these are illegal marijuana gardens and do not reflect any information regarding generally legal personal medicinal use grows, on private property with a doctor’s recommendation, under the Proposition 215 compassionate use act of 1996. Other investigations this year also recovered over 2 ounces of Cocaine more than 3 pounds of Psilocybin “hallucinogenic” mushrooms, and several illegal prescription pain medication cases. These amounts are all records to Sierra County in known memory. Although seemingly ever present, there has been a notable decline in methamphetamine cases in Sierra County this past year.
There were several burglary, theft and vandalism cases and at least one robbery/crime against a person case this year which appeared to have had connections to illegal drugs. The investigations of the property crimes and of the illegal drug crimes often assisted one another. Most of the large volume illegal drug cases were mainly involving either suspected illegal aliens or suspects passing through the county and/or second home persons; and not general Sierra County residents. The decline in methamphetamine cases is believed to be the result of determined and consistent enforcement by the entire sheriff’s office and active supervisions done by the probation department. Another positive factor may well be from rehabilitation programs such as “drug court” which is a combined effort intended to help drug users administered to most requesting violators through the district attorney’s office, the public defender, county human services, medical professionals and the superior court. Additionally, the escalation of finding the large cases and the apparent general decline in personal use and street level cases is believed to be a result of the sheriff’s office having a position dedicated and extremely hard working drug detective for the past two years. This also is in concert with the patrol deputy sheriffs and other agency professional staff working diligently together. Currently there are several related cases that have asset forfeitures and Federal prosecution(s) pending as well. As usual, this year the sheriff’s office received a great deal of assistance from other contributing agencies, including U.S.F.S. personnel, the sheriff’s offices of Plumas and Nevada counties, the Truckee Police Department, the C.H.P., the Fish and Game Department, the State C.A.M.P. program and we owe special thanks to the Butte County Sheriff’s Office for the help of their aero unit and illegal marijuana team. For more information about illegal drugs, including statistics in California, you can go to the California Department of Justice (D.O.J.), Bureau of Narcotics Enforcement (B.N.E.) website at www.ag.ca.gov/bne. Go to the CAMP (Campaign Against Marijuana Planting) page for marijuana specific information. If you know of anyone who is looking for referral help to change their life away from illegal/problem drug use, or if you want to provide any crime information, you can leave a confidential or anonymous message by telephoning: 1-888-2-SHERIFF or (530) 289-2898. That is a direct line received only by Sheriff John Evans.
Sheriff John Evans issued a recap of the year in illegal drugs (below).
The best news is that meth use seems to be down in the county. Meth is a particularly pernicious drug. The Sheriff credits skilled policing and probation intervention.
The Sheriff notes that there is some evidence to suggest that Mexican nationals are involved in large pot grows in the county. By extension, there is the suggestion that powers outside the country are involved. Other opinions suggest that Mexican cartels grow enough pot in Mexico, and the cheapest way to get any hard work done is to hire illegals. Either way, the grows aren’t great news for the county.
It is specifically noted that the information does not include medical cannabis, for which we give a tip of the hat to the Sher’ff.
Sheriff Evans notes a continued or increased relationship between illegal drugs and other crimes. Crimes regarding prescription drugs are particularly worrisome.
The county is able to provide more complete law enforcement through cooperation with other agencies, named in the release.
Wednesday 06 January 2010, P.M.
2009 Year-End Recap of Illegal Drugs Enforcement in Sierra County
Incident: # N/A
PRESS RELEASE
For more information, contact:
Sheriff John Evans
(530) 289-3700
sheriffadmin@sierracounty.ws
Sheriff John Evans is reporting that the Sierra County Sheriff’s Office had a record breaking year in terms of illegal drug enforcement and seizures in Sierra County for the year of 2009. In the past twelve months, the sheriff’s office located and eradicated some 52,000 illegal outdoor grow marijuana plants, worth several millions of dollars in street sales. They were mainly found on the western and northern areas of the county, generally on publicly owned and recreationally used U.S.F.S. lands; and some on rural private property without the land owner’s knowledge. Evidence and other information showed that these illegal grow operations were mainly committed by Mexican nationals involved in drug trafficking organizations (D.T.O.s) for commercial profit sales. There were some 17 of these large gardens found this season. This is an increase from none last year, to the previously known County record of some 2,000 plants found in a single similar garden two years ago. The discoveries of these large operations are a strong indicator that the illegal drug traffickers have found our small and generally remote county, with the smallest sheriff’s office in the State. Sierra County’s “D.T.O.” grow operations are now rivaling other counties, and have surpassed several others. Of special notice is that these are illegal marijuana gardens and do not reflect any information regarding generally legal personal medicinal use grows, on private property with a doctor’s recommendation, under the Proposition 215 compassionate use act of 1996. Other investigations this year also recovered over 2 ounces of Cocaine more than 3 pounds of Psilocybin “hallucinogenic” mushrooms, and several illegal prescription pain medication cases. These amounts are all records to Sierra County in known memory. Although seemingly ever present, there has been a notable decline in methamphetamine cases in Sierra County this past year.
There were several burglary, theft and vandalism cases and at least one robbery/crime against a person case this year which appeared to have had connections to illegal drugs. The investigations of the property crimes and of the illegal drug crimes often assisted one another. Most of the large volume illegal drug cases were mainly involving either suspected illegal aliens or suspects passing through the county and/or second home persons; and not general Sierra County residents. The decline in methamphetamine cases is believed to be the result of determined and consistent enforcement by the entire sheriff’s office and active supervisions done by the probation department. Another positive factor may well be from rehabilitation programs such as “drug court” which is a combined effort intended to help drug users administered to most requesting violators through the district attorney’s office, the public defender, county human services, medical professionals and the superior court. Additionally, the escalation of finding the large cases and the apparent general decline in personal use and street level cases is believed to be a result of the sheriff’s office having a position dedicated and extremely hard working drug detective for the past two years. This also is in concert with the patrol deputy sheriffs and other agency professional staff working diligently together. Currently there are several related cases that have asset forfeitures and Federal prosecution(s) pending as well. As usual, this year the sheriff’s office received a great deal of assistance from other contributing agencies, including U.S.F.S. personnel, the sheriff’s offices of Plumas and Nevada counties, the Truckee Police Department, the C.H.P., the Fish and Game Department, the State C.A.M.P. program and we owe special thanks to the Butte County Sheriff’s Office for the help of their aero unit and illegal marijuana team. For more information about illegal drugs, including statistics in California, you can go to the California Department of Justice (D.O.J.), Bureau of Narcotics Enforcement (B.N.E.) website at www.ag.ca.gov/bne. Go to the CAMP (Campaign Against Marijuana Planting) page for marijuana specific information. If you know of anyone who is looking for referral help to change their life away from illegal/problem drug use, or if you want to provide any crime information, you can leave a confidential or anonymous message by telephoning: 1-888-2-SHERIFF or (530) 289-2898. That is a direct line received only by Sheriff John Evans.
