Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
Kosciusko County Drug Task Force has come a long way since its early days.
The task force was formed in 1987 on a part-time basis. Former deputies Gerry Moser and Joe Mooney, along with then-Sgt. Sam Whitaker, worked drug assignments in addition to their regular duties.
At that time, the county sheriff's department was small and did not have enough officers to form a full-time task force. Funding for such a thing didn't exist within the county, either.
The drug problems of the 1980s consisted mainly of marijuana, cocaine and LSD, Lt. Joe Mooney said. Today's dangerous methamphetamine problem hadn't yet appeared.
In 1990, the sheriff's department obtained a federal grant, allowing a full-time squad to take form. Today, five officers from both the sheriff's department and Warsaw Police Department make up the task force.
"It'a an excellent opportunity for both departments to work together and share resources," Police chief Steve Foster said of the unit. "They're a force to be reckoned with."
The problems they encounter today are much more intense than those of 17 years ago. Methamphetamine, a highly addictive drug, is both dangerous to take and make. Officers who make methamphetamine arrests are sometimes in danger as well. One officer even was hospitalized for a few hours after encountering dangerous chemicals during an arrest.
The overall drug problem in the county, and nationwide, has boomed in recent years. "It's much worse now," Mooney said. "It's an epidemic of meth."
While drugs in the community has become a much more serious problem, task force officers also are more equipped than ever to handle it.
"In the 15 years I've been involved in the task force, I've worked with great officers," Mooney said. "But I have never experienced the dedication and devotion of officers like I see today."
Mooney said today's officers work long hours both in the county and assisting other counties. They often miss out on family events in their mission to combat drugs.
But all the work is not wasted. The task force is averaging about three felony drug arrests per week.
Not all arrests are related to methamphetamine. Cocaine and marijuana are still a community problem. In 2003, Mooney said, the task force made as many cocaine arrests as meth arrests.
Meth just seems to be the fastest-growing problem. "It's an insidious drug," Sheriff Aaron Rovenstine said. " It's highly addictive, easy to make, dangerous to make."
"I can't stress the dangers of it," Sheriff Aaron Rovenstine said. "It's the No. 1 law enforcement problem in Kosciusko County."
Indiana, as a state, has risen to one of the top five states in manufactuirng the drug.
The community has helped to combat the rising meth problem by calling in many tips that led to drug arrests. In addition, the full support and cooperation of Mayor Ernie Wiggins has been essential in the task force's work as has the work of road officers in obtaining information and making arrests.
Full support from Rovenstine and Foster also plays a key role in the unit's success.
To fight drug problems, both Mooney and Rovenstine said it must be a community-wide "total effort."
To assist in the effort task force officers provide training to other agencies and organizations throughout the county. Fire and police departments, government agencies and teachers are all some of the people the task force educates.
Right now, the task force, in conjunction with the mayor, officers from all agencies, teachers and other local leaders, are working together to form a plan to fight methamphetamine locally.
" (To combat meth) we need support from outside law enforcement," Rovenstine said. "... it needs to be stopped before it takes hold."
The task force also is involved in state government. Last year, task force Cpl. Tony Ciriello testified before congressmen Souder and Chocola regarding the local meth problem. Recently the unit was invited to assist in developing a plan to combat meth in northern Indiana.
Nowadays, the task force is about "enforcement, education and community involvement," Mooney said. The days of an understaffed unit are over and as community involvement increases, hopefully drugs will decrease.
