Wednesday, June 4, 2008

Officers take course in gangs, guns and drugs

Audry Olmsted El Defensor Chieftain Managing Editor, aolmsted@dchieftain.com

AOLMSTED Socorro police officers are more savvy in looking for drugs and paraphernalia after some have returned from the 3rd Annual Gangs, Guns & Drugs Conference in Las Vegas, Nev.

Angel Garcia and Rocky Fernandez have returned from the conference and are ready to put their knowledge to work here.

"I think it helped us tremendously," Garcia said.

One of the most invaluable information they learned during the conference, Garcia said, was in learning new ways of searching cars, and finding the hidden compartments that people use to hide drugs and paraphernalia. This was taught by the company Roadside Access.

With newer technology and in newer cars, there are more places these items can be hidden. Garcia said the police department has a new system where they are able to type the make and model of a vehicle into a computer, and the computer generates all the different compartments in that vehicle.

The officer said this was a way to help officers look beyond the simple traffic stop and see clues to possible illegal activity.

The teacher of the class, Eddie Dutchover, is also a deputy sheriff in Las Vegas. With this new system of searching vehicles, Garcia said. The Sheriff's Office in Las Vegas brought in $13 million in seized cash, in the first year.

Garcia said they also had Julian Sher as a guest speaker. Sher is known for his books on the Hell's Angels Motorcycle Club.

At the conference, the officers also learned how better to detect indoor or outdoor marijuana plants and learned new undercover tactics from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. The officers also learned more about the drug methamphetamine.

Garcia said they learned about everything from money laundering to drug dealers, from the street level to the cartel.

The officer said one of their main focuses right now is to use the skills taught to them about undercover operations.

Even though this area does not have quite the level of gangs, such as the Hell's Angels, Garcia said this area is the gateway to other places, listing the high traffic flow between Interstate 25 and U.S. 60.

"That's the heart of the trafficking world," Garcia said, citing the two roads.

Garcia said the police department is working closely with the District Attorney's Office to prosecute offenders.

Garcia and Fernandez were able to attend the conference thanks to some money the Police Department received after a traffic stop in Magdalena yielded $119,000 in drug money in 2006.

The two officers also received funding from the Mayor's Drug Task Force.

The four-day event was held May 19-22.

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