"Keep our youth off drugs and criminals off our streets" (Littleton) Law enforcement officials have announced that a law sponsored in 2007 by State Representative Joe Rice, D-Littleton, resulted in the arrest of a marijuana grower and provided financial support for the National Guard.
House Bill 1275, initiated by Representative Rice and co-sponsored by Senator Josh Penry, R-Grand Junction, allows the Colorado National Guard to offer support to civilian law enforcement. And now, for the first time ever, the Guard is able to receive a portion of the criminal assets seized in anti-drug operations. With these funds, the Guard can afford both to provide support to law enforcement, and to keep drugs out of the hands of teens.
Because of Rep. Rice’s bill, the Colorado National Guard was able to use their helicopters to help in a recent drug investigation. Guards in helicopters spotted a large marijuana field in rural Mesa County, leading to the arrest of Alfred Topliss. Topliss was convicted of felony charges, and the assets gained through his criminal activity were seized.
As this was a multi-agency drug bust, the criminal proceeds were divided among the participating agencies, the Mesa County Drug Task Force, the Forest Service, the IRS, and the Bureau of Land Management. The Colorado National Guard’s portion is $93,701. As directed by Rep. Rice’s bill, the funds will go to continuing to provide support for law enforcement anti-drug operations as well as to youth drug prevention programs.
“This is a historic moment,” said Rep. Rice, “and its bad news for criminals who push drugs on our children. For years, the Colorado National Guard has been able to provide only limited support to law enforcement agencies because they are not funded to offer such help. Now that the National Guard will receive a portion of the assets seized in these operations, the Guard is able to be a more active partner in efforts to keep our youth off drugs and criminals off our streets.”
-- Posted by staff