Sonoma County police seized more than $400,000 and 328 pounds of marijuana during a fall campaign to stop drug traffickers on Highway 101 during the outdoor marijuana harvest.
Led by Santa Rosa and Petaluma police, departments dedicated officers sometimes several days a week from August to November to patrol major thoroughfares.
On the lookout for marijuana going south and cash going north, the focus is the highway, an artery between the Emerald Triangle to the north — Mendocino, Humboldt and Trinity counties — and the Bay Area to the south.
The sight of patrol cars from Santa Rosa, Petaluma, Cotati and Rohnert Park along the highway and sometimes as far north as Cloverdale has some critics asking if cities can afford it.
But law enforcement officials said proactive patrols to stop drug traffickers, even outside city limits, is part of the job.
"What are our cops doing up in Cloverdale? Criminals don't recognize the boundaries of jurisdictions," Santa Rosa Police Chief Tom Schwedhelm said.
This fall was the third season county agencies have collaborated on "drug interdiction," although patrolling to intercept illegal drugs is far from new.
After years of working separately, members of the Sonoma County Law Enforcement Chiefs Association discussed coordinating teams and areas of focus.
"We have a transient society that is using the car as a means of committing crimes," Petaluma Police Lt. Tim Lyons said. "A lot of people will stop here to get gas, food, they're spending the night."
In past years, Rohnert Park, the county sheriff's office and federal agents were involved. This year, those agencies did not take a major role because of scheduling and resource concerns. Sebastopol's canine officer went out on just one day, Chief Jeff Weaver said.
But critics, particularly defense attorneys, ask if the time is well spent.
"They're not targeting the organized crime and the cartels, they're going after small-time marijuana patients," said Sebastopol attorney Omar Figueroa, an outspoken defender of marijuana cases. "To me, the right people to target would be violent criminals, not those who are involved in commerce with plants."
This year, Santa Rosa officers made 541 traffic stops and made 281 searches of vehicles and people from August to November, Schwedhelm said. They arrested 30 people, 25 of those on suspected felony charges.
Officers seized $173,000 and 260 pounds of marijuana, as well as prescription pills, Ecstasy, 2 ounces of methamphetamine and a half-pound of cocaine.
Two to four Santa Rosa officers, usually with a police dog, spent several shifts a week patrolling for drug traffickers.
According to daily incident logs for October, Santa Rosa officers spent 10 days during the month on these directed patrols. They made 123 traffic stops on the highway between Windsor and the Mendocino County line.
A man pulled over near the Lytton Springs Road offramp Oct. 6 eventually pled no contest to possession of marijuana for sale, according to court records. Armando Chavez, 25, was sentenced to 120 days in jail and is on an immigration hold, records show. Schwedhelm said he had more than 36 pounds of pot in the car.
A judge dismissed a felony marijuana sales charge for a 53-year-old man pulled over Oct. 12 near Asti, although the judge ordered the marijuana be destroyed, court files show.
Charges of marijuana possession for sale are pending for two men arrested an hour later near the central Windsor offramp.
Charges never were filed against the two other people arrested, according to court files.
Petaluma officers focused on the highway corridor between the Cotati Grade and Marin County, Lyons said. They traveled farther north on only one occasion, he said.
Two canine officers took several shifts a week during most weeks between Aug. 2 and Sept. 28 to focus on drug interdiction, Lyons said.
They made 121 traffic stops and arrested three people on suspicion of possessing marijuana for sale and two others suspected of violating narcotics laws.
In one case, a transient and a man from Minneapolis were pulled over Aug. 7 near East Washington Street on suspicion of possession for sale and transportation of marijuana, Lyons said. Their case is pending.
Officers also made two DUI arrests, arrested four people with outstanding arrest warrants, recovered two stolen vehicles and during one stop seized four firearms, Lyons said.
They seized 68 pounds of marijuana and $237,300 in cash.
Petaluma Mayor David Glass said the money seized may pay for the staff time and other resources involved in the interdiction effort.
"I know how people can feel a Petaluma police vehicle should be confined to the city limits of Petaluma," Glass said. "People may see it that way, but there can be some benefits to leaving the jurisdiction."
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