Law enforcement protests plans to cut back drug teams

Police chiefs and sheriffs say Gov. Kenny Guinn's plan to eliminate multi-county drug task forces would open the door to drug traffickers -- especially in rural Nevada.

Guinn's plan would eliminate state support for drug enforcement operations including TriNet, which operates in Douglas, Lyon and Carson City.

Philip Brown of the Nevada Division of Investigation told legislators the budget would reduce authorized staff from 79 to 40. Deputy Public Safety Director Dave Kieckbush said Guinn believes sheriffs and police have primary responsibility for drug-busting efforts and the state should not duplicate their efforts.

On the drug-enforcement teams, state investigators work with local officers from several agencies.

Lt. Stan Olson of Las Vegas Metropolitan Police said there is no duplication because the state officers working with local officials on those drug cases have special training and often work under cover.

He said the cuts "would be devastating to law enforcement, particularly in rural Nevada."

White Pine County District Attorney Richard Sears said the cuts would eliminate two state investigators in eastern Nevada, which would make it difficult to find and knock out methamphetamine drug labs.

"I don't know how we can prevent the cooking and transporting it into your county," he told Clark County lawmakers.

Assemblyman Pete Goicoechea, R-Eureka, said the cutbacks would "put the welcome mat out to all drug dealers."

He was joined by Republican assemblymen John Carpenter of Elko and Tom Grady of Yerington.

Brown acknowledged there would be consequences to the cuts. If they are approved, he said NDI would be cut to six officers in Clark County to cover the southern half of the state, two in Elko for the east and the rest in Carson City to handle the rest of rural Nevada and Washoe County.