A citizen recently called about a "suspected" drug house in his neighborhood. The house had been reported to police; the citizen was justifiably concerned that it looked like the house was operating business as usual.

My caller immediately wanted tactical officers to crash through doors and haul bad guys off to prison to serve a life sentence ... . Actually that scenario wouldn't hurt my feelings. But there is, of course, much more involved before the police go crashing through doors.

I did once order an armored vehicle to ram into a drug residence. It was a Kodak moment to see an armored vehicle sticking half inside a drug house as SWAT disgorged into the building to arrest some serious bad guys - but that's another story from when I was a police chief in another city.

Still, is there really anything in Clallam or Jefferson counties more substantial than a few folks smoking marijuana or some occasional use of psychedelic mushrooms?



Ecstasy seizures

In 2009, among a long list of drug arrests was the seizure of more than 60,000 Ecstasy tablets, worth $720,000, in the waters off Neah Bay coming from Canada. A once in a lifetime occurrence you might think?

Yet in 2006, OPNET seized 750,000 Ecstasy tablets as smugglers landed at Freshwater Bay. That was one of the largest seizures in the United States. I doubt very much that we caught the only two drug smuggling attempts that ever came across the Strait of Juan de Fuca.

There are hundreds of miles of coastline in Clallam and Jefferson counties, and the Canada-based Asian drug trafficking organizations continue to be the pre-eminent drug threat along our border.

In 2009, there was an abundance of marijuana-grow operations in our county. Currently we see a wave in the abuse of prescription drugs, with OxyContin leading the list. There also is a small resurgence in methamphetamine.

Clallam County always has had a heroin population. In fact, New Year's Day saw Sequim officers arresting four individuals on heroin charges and serving four search warrants.



A tempting territory

The perception of our communities being remote, under-policed, sleepy rural cities right next to a porous international border is not lost on bad guys, bank robbers, illegal drug dealers or international illegal drug importers; certainly, terrorists know where we are.

In December, the Drug Enforcement Administration announced that the last three defendants in a large methamphetamine ring pleaded guilty, a case that involved the Olympic Peninsula Narcotics Enforcement Team, our county and communities.

Convicted of charges including conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, illegal use of a communication facility and possession of firearms by an illegal alien, these three defendants are the last of 26 members of a methamphetamine distribution ring to plead guilty. The defendants face a maximum penalty of 40 years in prison with a $2,000,000 fine.

Who would think that our small OPNET task force would be poised on the Olympic Peninsula to spring, or that our law enforcement agencies would work as a team to enhance policing with limited staffs or that our communities would be so vigilant in bringing suspicious activity forward?

But, why does it take so long for police to act on that "suspected" drug house?

First, the information is verified. The police make undercover purchases from the house. A search warrant is served with drugs seized and arrests made. In some cases, additional enforcement agencies follow the criminals up the proverbial food chain. In recent years, local drug cases have reached all the way into Mexico, Canada or into the Midwest.



Harder to buy

This scenario repeats itself over and over every year. While illegal drugs can be obtained in Sequim, it has become harder. One by one, local dealers are identified, targeted, arrested, convicted and sent off to state or federal prison. This even included a Sequim grandmother, arrested for dealing heroin and methamphetamine and selling to kids and adults here in town.

Here's an open help wanted ad for 2010: The Sequim Police and OPNET always are looking for drug informants. We pay people to infiltrate and purchase drugs. We encourage arrestees to work for the police in cooperation with our prosecutor's office.

So if you sell illegal drugs or import illegal drugs, don't be surprised to someday see the Sequim Police and OPNET - remember that armored vehicle that I used before, well it's only a quick phone call away even today.



Have a safe and sane new year!