30 gang members and associates arrested in western Colorado during ICE-led multi-agency operation

Colorado ranks eighth in the nation in per-capita methamphetamine use, costing the state roughly $1.4 billion a year, said Attorney General John Suthers on Wednesday.

A new national study of the social costs associated with methamphetamine calculates that meth abuse nationwide costs the country $23.4 billion a year, or roughly $73,700 per user.

Costs include treatment and hospitalization of abusers, social programs caring for their children and families, law enforcement and finally the lost productivity caused by the drug, which is relatively cheap, highly addictive and long-lasting, sometimes producing a high for 24 hours.

"Abuse of methamphetamine brings a whole host of problems with it, particularly crimes such as burglaries

and ID thefts," Suthers said. "In Colorado, roughly two-thirds of all ID thefts are caused by methamphetamine users. Colorado ranks sixth in the country for ID theft."

A significant number of abused children are removed from their homes because of their parents' use of methamphetamine, he said.

In fact, 70 percent of all child-abuse cases involve drug abuse, said Lori Moriarity, former head of the North Metro Drug Task Force and now executive director of the National Alliance for Drug-Endangered Children.

"The bottom line is that Colorado has a huge problem with the scourge of methamphetamine," Suthers said.

Suthers and Moriarity said Colorado has a disproportionate number of meth abusers, primarily because of the state's proximity to the supply routes coming up from Mexico. He said Wyoming and Arizona rank high for that same reason, adding that Colorado has more total meth users than the state of New York.

Meth abusers frequently resort to stealing credit cards and numbers or stealing checks from mail boxes. Frequently, checks can be washed clean and rewritten, or reproduced inexpensively.

"Meth users frequently drive our streets looking for mail," Moriarity said.

One gang of meth addicts stole a U.S. Postal Service blue drop box and moved it to different locations every few days.

http://www.denverpost.com/breakingnews/ci_11630146

Good evening, Par.

I saw the headline, and just knew that you had found another LE gem. Thanks!

In light of the fact that gang members are often drug dealers....and the easy availability of drugs in Colorado, I expect to see many, many more arrests if LE is really taking a hard line on LE concerning gang members and/or drug dealers -- not to mention the number of illegals involved in both gangs and drug dealing among other criminal activity.

And for anyone who thinks that drugs should be legalized...I don't think the taxpayers want to fund the addicts' habit at over $73,000 per addict...and this is for meth alone.

You are welcome for the info, Par.

Actually, I was looking for the estimate of the number of gang members operating in Colorado, but came up with the meth info instead....but it all ties together.

Here's an "interesting" story unfolding in Colorado...and see what LE has been doing in regards to the illegals that they have picked up.

http://www.thedenverchannel.com/news/24231446/detail.html

I think LE in Colorado was going to hang the 82 year old out to dry until there was a public outcry. However, the "make my day law" varies from state to state. In some states, a person is allowed to shoot trespassers whether they are armed or not ---or even whether they are threatening or not....but many states only allow lethal force if the trespasser is inside the home....and then there are laws somewhere in between.

The "joke" in my neck of the woods used to be if a trespasser was shot outside, then make sure to drag the body inside. I don't know if this has actually ever happened around here, but we don't get many reported shootings....or people coming up missing. Most people in my area are armed, and I have no doubt that they will shoot to kill and ask questions later if they are threatened by an intruder or trespasser.

If anything violent happens to the 82 year old, there is likely to be an outpouring of citizen rage that pales in comparison to what happened after the Arizona rancher was murdered this spring.

Par4TheCousre,,,,Great Post ! Thanks