Meth fight continues
His department may be battered by budget cuts, but Josephine County Sheriff Gil Gilbertson said that he still is determined to combat the methamphetamine problem.
The discontinuation of federal O&C funding, given in lieu of declining timber receipts -- combined with a failed May 15 public safety levy plan -- has forced deputy layoffs and discontinuation of patrols after Friday, June 15.
Limited patrol, basically for emergencies only, will continue until that date. Last week the sheriff had pegged May 27 as the last day for patrols, but because of the uncertainty of the staffing and financial aspects facing the county, that has changed.
Despite the loss of federal funding for normal operations, Gilbertson said that the sheriff’s office will continue to participate in the efforts of Josephine County Interagency Narcotics Team (JOINT). Other agencies involved in JOINT are Oregon State Police, Grants Pass Dept. of Public Safety and the Josephine County District Attorney’s office. The Drug Enforcement Agency and other federal agencies also cooperate in investigations, Gilbertson said.
He said that Josephine County Sheriff’s Office (JCSO) staffing cutbacks will not affect JOINT operations.
“It’s not just deputies on patrol that deal with this,” Gilbertson said. “Their role is fairly limited.”
He said that more than 70 percent of the county’s property crime is meth-related.
“It’s probably a lot higher,” he said.
As such, the sheriff said that his office will continue to make the fight against meth a top priority.
“Our intent is to go after meth,” Gilbertson said. “It’s the scourge of our problems in this county, and we want to pursue it aggressively.”
JCSO provides two investigators to JOINT, and Sgt. Ken Selig also works with that entity.
Because JOINT is funded through federal and state dollars, Gilbertson said that JCSO would lose money by withdrawing from it.
“It’s something we can’t afford to pull out of,” he said.
To step up the battle against the drug, Gilbertson said that he is applying for a $450,000 grant. With XX contaminated meth sites, Josephine County leads all Oregon counties, which could help JCSO secure the grant.
“I feel fairly strongly that we have a good chance to be in contention for it,” Gilbertson said.
In terms of prosecutions, the sheriff said that JCSO would try to bring those cases to federal courts. The county D.A.’s office will be busy prosecuting only the most-severe crimes against persons, but the burden of proof is lower in federal courts, and sentences tend to be non-negotiable.
“If you get 10 years, you’re going to get 10 years,” Gilbertson said.
He added that despite the pending lack of rural JCSO patrols, he will make every effort to eliminate meth from the county.
“Somehow, some way, we will go after it,” Gilbertson said.
