Major Crimes Drug Bust in Novato

I am a member of the Marin Major Crimes Task Force (MMCTF), serving as the Board of Supervisors’ representative on this oversight committee since taking office in 2007.

The Task Force was formed in 1977 at the recommendation of the Marin County Police Chiefs Association. It is a cooperative effort linking 10 out of 11 of Marin's cities and the county to provide a central investigative unit capable of crossing jurisdictional boundaries with the objective of reducing narcotic activity and influences in the county through the detection, apprehension, and prosecution of highly mobile mid- to upper-level narcotics traffickers and organizations.

To accomplish this objective, the Task Force provides investigative assistance to local, state, and federal agencies. In addition, the Task Force gathers information independently, through referrals from allied agencies, and by developing citizen and criminal confidential informants.

One example of the work of the Task Force was described in a recent press story of two suspected methamphetamine dealers arrested after an undercover operation at the Wyndover Apartments. One suspect was from San Rafael and the other from Petaluma. Four ounces of meth was seized and $13,000 in cash.

Over time, I have heard from individuals in Novato living near the Wyndover and elsewhere in the City who are concerned about criminal activity they have seen in that area. As part of my work on MMCTF, I have discussed drug activity at Wyndover with Sheriff Bob Doyle, who has coordinated with the other jurisdictional partners on the Task Force, including the Novato Police Department, to monitor the situation on an ongoing basis.  It is this work that led directly to the arrests in this particular case.

By the very nature of the operations of the MMCTF, one would not notice the presence of the law enforcement personnel carrying out this work. It is all undercover work, requiring patience and persistence.  The estimated value of street narcotics removed from circulation through the work of the Task Force during 2010 was $44,131,675. Novato should be proud that the Novato Police Department and the County Sherriff’s office are both active members of the Task Force.

Quoting from the Sherriff’s Department website that describes the Marin Major Crimes Task Force, “It is the mission of the MMCTF that the citizens of Marin shall live in a narcotic free community. The community shall be protected from crimes such as burglary, larceny, and physical assaults, which are directly related to the use of illegal substances. The citizens of Marin deserve protection from personal attacks, property crimes and our children sheltered from poisonous substances.”

The MMCTF will continue to monitor illegal activity, make more arrests, and carry out more drug seizures as its work continues.