Rural Site Targets Drug Dealers
By Shirley Morgan, Site Manager, Mt. Hood Coalition Against Drug Crime
|
In Oregon, antidrug efforts are often hindered by two problems: medical marijuana is legal, and meth (or methamphetamine) manufacturing and distribution is on the rise. Areas that are especially affected are small, unincorporated rural communities that do not have the resources they need to keep local drug dealers from taking over. This was the case in Clackamas County, until residents formed the Mt. Hood Coalition Against Drug Crime and received official recognition as a Weed and Seed site in June 2004.
In September and October of 2006, Clackamas County Sheriff's Deputy Brandon Claggett participated in the arrest of two major drug dealers. Deputy Claggett is assigned to the Mount Hood corridor, and his work is financially sponsored by the Mt. Hood Weed and Seed site. He attributes the success of the Mt. Hood Coalition Against Drug Crime to community support during his investigations.
In the first case, a search warrant resulted in the seizure of 711 marijuana plants with a potential street value of $2.1 million. David and Karla Harvey were taken to the Clackamas County Sheriff's Jail, and two young children at the house were taken into protective custody by the Oregon Department of Human Services.
David Harvey moved to Oregon from Montana just 6 weeks prior to his arrest. He told police he chose Oregon because it is a medical marijuana state and he planned to apply for a medical marijuana card. The law states, however, that residents must live in Oregon for 6 months before they can obtain such a card. With 711 marijuana plants at their home, it was clear that the Harveys were planning to sell the drug.
“This guy didn't have a medical condition to apply for a medical marijuana card,” said Shirley Morgan, site manager of the Mt. Hood Coalition Against Drug Crime. “Karla Harvey had just applied for a job at one of our local ski resorts and was hired as the night auditor.”
The coalition has since put pressure on the ski resort to institute both preemployment and random drug testing to screen out such people. “When local businesses don't play their part, it allows criminals to enter our vulnerable rural community,” said Morgan. “This case was a good lesson to the criminal that you don't want to come to a Weed and Seed site to conduct your criminal activity.”
In the second major drug raid, Deputy Claggett and members of the Clackamas County Interagency Task Force, an antidrug unit comprising officers from various agencies, arrested George Lee Gress after executing a search warrant at his secluded cabin in the Mt. Hood National Forest. Police believe Gress has been a major dealer in the Mt. Hood corridor's meth trade for the better part of a decade. “We recently collected enough information to solidify this investigation,” said Deputy Claggett.
Police also arrested four other people during the nighttime raid. Investigators found meth paraphernalia, scales, and plastic baggies that contained meth residue. Although a significant amount of meth was not located, authorities said that arresting Gress dealt a “major blow” to the methamphetamine culture on the mountain.
These successes are the result of grassroots strategies that the Mt. Hood Coalition Against Drug Crime started implementing years ago. Even before the site received official Weed and Seed recognition, community members partnered with law enforcement by reporting all suspected illegal drug activity, recording license plate numbers, taking photos, and writing down descriptions of suspicious people and activities. Soon, law enforcement realized the extent of illegal activity throughout this rural community and began applying its own pressure.
The area's law enforcement strategies have evolved since that time, and officers now strive to—
- Identify and eliminate illegal marijuana growers and methamphetamine labs.
- Keep track of repeat offenders.
- Make home visits.
- Protect women and children who have been victims of domestic violence and refer them to shelters for their safety.
- Crack down on people who drive under the influence of alcohol.
These measures illustrate the commitment that this rural community has made to stamp out the area's drug trade.
In addition to law enforcement, the Mt. Hood Coalition Against Drug Crime has partnered with county, state, and federal agencies to develop a comprehensive plan to reclaim their community. Partners include the Oregon U.S. Attorney's Office, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, the Oregon Code Enforcement Association, state legislators, county commissioners, mental health departments, and local schools. By pooling the varied experiences, fields of expertise, and access to resources of these partners, the community's norms are beginning to change.
Members of the Mt. Hood coalition and the Clackamas County site have successfully internalized their community's needs and built partnerships to help meet those needs. They have also learned how to access resources, and today their successes extend beyond traditional law enforcement. For instance, the Village PAL (Police Activities League) Youth Activity and Family Resource Center was opened last year as a safe place for kids to go after school, but it is also a Safe Haven where families dealing with issues such as addiction and domestic violence can get help accessing the support they need. The coalition has also given the community its first mode of public transportation. A bus it obtained with grant resources transported more than 10,000 people in its first year of operation.
Putting buses on the road, opening a youth activity and family resource center, and getting criminals arrested have all been important, but the site's most important accomplishment is itself—that it gathered community members into a coalition that rose up and made a difference. The Mt. Hood Coalition Against Drug Crime has demonstrated that such an organization can indeed build capacity and, thus, sustain its efforts. That is a legacy that would make any community proud.
For more information, contact:
Shirley Morgan
Site Manager
Mt. Hood Coalition Against Drug Crime
