Los Gatos Weekly-Times

Drug enforcement worth price

By Officer Tim Morgan

While I was reading your editorial regarding the Los Gatos Police Department and the recent budget difficulties that the town is facing in the May 15 issue of the Los Gatos Weekly-Times, I became very concerned that the perception you are providing the citizens is not entirely factual. Your concern that monies spent on investigating drug sales and use at Los Gatos High School, the sale of narcotic packaging materials from a paraphernalia shop, the "Stash Box," and the investigation of Toby's Motel was not well spent. I am completely at odds with this position and will provide you with details on why.

First, the high school came to the Police Department and asked for assistance because of drug use and sales occurring in and around the school. Upon investigating the concerns of the school official, an undercover officer was placed into the high school. This resulted in the arrest of 29 persons, including a parent, for sales and use of drugs. Everyone was either convicted or was diverted, as was anticipated.

This operation was applauded by Community Against Substance Abuse, school officials and many parents whose children were exposed to this illegal and destructive behavior. Based on information obtained from sources close to the high school and the short-term use of an informant, it has been determined that drug use at and around the high school has sharply decreased. The Police Department received in excess of 30 phone calls from other areas in California and Nevada requesting information on how to conduct operations such as this.

Second, the "Stash Box" investigation and the seizure of all narcotic paraphernalia inside the store took approximately 20 man-hours to complete. This includes the undercover investigation, obtaining the search warrant, executing the search warrant, court time and disposition of the evidence that was seized. The approximately $500 spent conducting this investigation resulted in the seizure of over $5,000 in contraband. Some of this contraband (approximately $3,000) was provided to several schools for use in science lab instruction rather than the illegal purposes for which it would have been used had the Police Department not intervened. I would say that the investigation was well worth the time and expense.

The investigation at Toby's Motel resulted in 13 drug-dealer arrests. These dealers were selling drugs to high school students. To criticize the arrest of these individuals as somehow evil on the part of the Police Department is absurd!

The fact that the motel was so poorly maintained that the Fire Department and the building officials were forced to order its closure was a completely unrelated consequence of the investigation. But, nonetheless, the action of those officials was completely appropriate. The individuals living at that location were exposed to serious public health and safety violations: broken or nonexistent sanitation systems, defective gas utilities, exposed and defective electrical lines and outlets, just to name a few.

The Police Department and other officials not only performed a commendable service for our community, but would have been negligent if they had ignored the conditions that existed at Toby's Motel. Rather than question their actions, why don't you write an editorial on the tragedy caused to so many individuals by slum landlords?

I am very concerned when a newspaper tells citizens that money could be better spent in other areas when the newspaper does not have the proper information and ignores the facts associated with these types of investigations. The Chief of Police is the person who should make these decisions. To be criticized and told money could be better spent is irresponsible. Our community is as safe as it is because of the hard work and the ability for a chief to make decisions in the interest of the community he and his officers serve.

Officer Tim Morgan is with the Los Gatos Police Department.