Quincy plans to pay $21,000 for INET

QUINCY - Quincy will pay $21,100 more for its involvement in the Interagency Narcotics Enforcement Team (INET).

The decision came after the Grant County Sheriff's Office lost $105,621 in federal funding for the team.

Cuts to the Byrne Justice Assistance Grant resulted in the county's grant dropping from $276,919 in the 2011 fiscal year to $171,298 in the 2012 fiscal year, Undersheriff Dave Ponozzo stated. The grant is funded through the Bureau of Justice Assistance and administered by the state's Department of Commerce.

The office used the grant to pay for $42,200 per employee for salaries. He stated the Quincy, Ephrata and Moses Lake police departments were asked to contribute $21,100 more per officer to cover the loss.

"The loss in funding does not diminish the importance of the need for the task force and those personnel assigned," Ponozzo stated. "The grant (for the 2012 fiscal year) provided additional requirements of the unit in that we are now required to investigate on and report on the criminal activity of gangs as they relate to narcotics investigations."

The grant still requires the agencies to investigate drug crimes involving people not in gangs as well as drug-trafficking organizations, he stated. Property crimes and crimes against people can be linked back to drug use, sales and manufacture.

"I can spend about a half hour talking about how important, how effective it is to have involvement in INET," Police Chief Richard Ackerman said.

The chief pointed to INET's involvement with more than 200 officers across Eastern Washington, and the federal government in recent DEA lead raids. The narcotics activity in the county is often connected to gangs.

"Narcotics users, sellers, they're very mobile. They move around the county," he said. "Part of having us over there is getting to know what's going on. The detective we send over there never worked narcotics before. He's been there for some time now and he's become better and better at what he's doing, and more and more effective."

The team has served search warrants on drug houses in and around Quincy, Ackerman said. Having an officer involved in the team provides the department an expert in drug enforcement issues.

Ackerman presented the city's public safety committee with letters, signed by various senators across the US, asking to reinstate the federal funding for drug enforcement, he said.

"That same entity also controls the (Community Oriented Policing Services) grant, and there's a movement afoot for people to save money and cut both of those grants," he said.

Mayor Jim Hemberry said he was still unsure about the request, pointing out if Ackerman told him he needed more officers in the city when the chief submitted his budget, the mayor planned to take a look at the INET funding.

"He's saying, 'We want to keep going for right now and see if the funding will come back,'" Hemberry said. "There's no commitment on our part. We can pull out at any time."

Councilmember Tony Gonzalez supported the additional funding for INET, saying with the complaints the city has received makes the team necessary.

"We provide one person, for $20,000, but then that person brings us another five or six or seven when they're working in our community," he said. "It's a team, and we're proud to be a part of that, and we need to be part of it, so we can protect the city."

Ackerman agreed, saying the city receives a lot for the money it spends.