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Local, state marijuana eradication teams

By LAURA CLARK | The Ukiah Daily Journal | July 20, 2004

Camp season is here, but tents are not required.

The California Department of Justice has kicked off its 2004 Campaign Against Marijuana Planting season.

CAMP comes to Mendocino County on a yearly basis during peak marijuana season to assist the County of Mendocino Marijuana Eradication Team, established in 1983 to help control violence often associated with large gardens.

Almost all the camps raided show indications of weapons. For example, discarded ammunition or gun holsters, according to Mendocino County Sheriff's Sgt. and COMMET Commander Rusty Noe.

Monday was CAMP's first day in Mendocino County this season and together with COMMET, agents confiscated over 5,000 plants in the Fish Rock Road area, Noe said, noting the gardens are getting bigger again.

"In the past few years we had seen the gardens getting smaller and more spread out. This year we are seeing them a lot bigger than they used to be," Noe said.

Sheriff's Capt. Kevin Broin said overflights of the county indicate increased activity this year.

The marijuana growing season starts in mid-April with harvests ending in late September or early October. Statewide, this season has already resulted in the seizure of more than 66,000 plants and 30 weapons, the eradication of 30 gardens and the arrest of 14 people, according to CAMP.

In Mendocino County alone, so far in 2004, COMMET agents have confiscated 26,821 plants from 70 gardens, resulting in the arrest of 13 people, according to Noe.

With that said, keep in mind that unlike CAMP, COMMET operates year round and these statistics include both indoor and outdoor gardens, Noe said.

In 2003, the local COMMET visited 285 garden sites in Mendocino County and seized a total of 69,285 marijuana plants, resulting in 26 arrests.

Managed by the California Department of Justice's Bureau of Narcotic Enforcement, CAMP is made up of local, state, and federal agencies tasked with eradicating large-scale illegal indoor and outdoor marijuana cultivation and trafficking throughout California. During the season, CAMP will partner with many agencies to remove illegal commercial grows. The U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency, Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Forest Service, California National Guard and dozens of local police and sheriff departments from across the state participate in the program.

In the 21-year history of the CAMP program, agents have eradicated almost 3.5 million plants with an estimated wholesale value of nearly $14 billion. In the 2003 season, CAMP seized a record 466,054 plants worth $1.9 billion. Seizures have dramatically increased the last five years due to better deployment teams throughout the state; more aggressive techniques, particularly aerial transportation of officers and surveillance; and the size of gardens. The average 2003 raid netted 2,500 plants; in 1994, the average garden yielded 300 to 500 plants, according to CAMP.

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PotShot

In Mendocino County alone, so far in 2004, COMMET agents have confiscated 26,821 plants from 70 gardens, resulting in the arrest of 13 people, according to Noe.

In 2003, the local COMMET visited 285 garden sites in Mendocino County and seized a total of 69,285 marijuana plants, resulting in 26 arrests.

So by the time 2004 is up, it will be about 100 people in the last 2 years?

I wonder how many total growers Mendocino county has, let alone in the whole state. It seems that once again law enforcement is unjust and uneffective.

Even if enough money were to be spent to eradicate all the plants in the entire STATE, that still leaves the rest of the U.S. If enough money were to be spent to "clean" the entire country, that would still leave the rest of the world.

To truly enforce prohibition is to be authoritarian, the total supression of the populace. That does not sound like too much fun to me

In the 21-year history of the CAMP program, agents have eradicated almost 3.5 million plants with an estimated wholesale value of nearly $14 billion. In the 2003 season, CAMP seized a record 466,054 plants worth $1.9 billion. Seizures have dramatically increased the last five years due to better deployment teams throughout the state; more aggressive techniques, particularly aerial transportation of officers and surveillance; and the size of gardens. The average 2003 raid netted 2,500 plants; in 1994, the average garden yielded 300 to 500 plants, according to CAMP.

I love this part, what kinda state or country destroys its own trade goods?

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chillumforillum

Makes one wonder just what old Uncle Sam does with all those plants...
I guess they don't want to get high on their own supply...

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WNB

Heh. I live in sonoma county, which is directly north of mendocino. The entire area is completely saturated with cops. but considering how rural and heavily forested the north bay area is, there's no way they can do more than scratch the surface when it comes to busting growers.

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