Major Marijuana Seizure in Putnam Valley - 08/21/09

[Tapout 42]

If you're a parent, you'll appreciate just how important and necessary this mission was. If you're in law enforcement, you'll understand just how hard it was to even make this mission happen.

http://www.lohud.com/article/20090821/NEWS04/908210439

[pasobuff 38]

If you're a parent, you'll appreciate just how important and necessary this mission was. If you're in law enforcement, you'll understnad just how hard it was to even make this mission happen.

http://www.lohud.com/article/20090821/NEWS04/908210439

Good job all around.....haven't beenin that area in a while - but from what I remember there's a lot of woods..rough terrain.....hope the 'owners' are found out and dealt with appropriately!

[SageVigiles 1,194]

Which member was on this job?

[celticmedic643 2]

I was at Putnam Valley VAC and saw the bird flying in the rain hauling the plants. Nice job to all involved.

[dadbo46 50]

Could the headline writer from the JN possibly have thought of another word than "Joint ?"

[Raz 14]

I know I'll be alone on this...

There is no law or policy in the U.S. more off base or flat out wrong than our marijuana laws. There is no reason why industrial hemp and marijuana should not be legal. Before anyone asks, no I'm not a smoker, and my employer has enough negative drug tests to back up that claim.

[DonMoose 3]

I know I'll be alone on this...

There is no law or policy in the U.S. more off base or flat out wrong than our marijuana laws. There is no reason why industrial hemp and marijuana should not be legal. Before anyone asks, no I'm not a smoker, and my employer has enough negative drug tests to back up that claim.

You're not alone on that one. I believe that it should be legalized, regulated, and taxed like tobacco and alcohol. However, until then...it's off limits.

Just my $0.02.

Edited August 22, 2009 by DonMoose

[Raz 14]

You're not alone on that one. I believe that it should be legalized, regulated, and taxed like tobacco and alcohol. However, until then...it's off limits.

Just my $0.02.

Oh, absolutely. I'm not encouraging people to break the law. I'm just calling the existing law ridiculous. Want lower cost for health care/lower taxes/a chance to chip away at the national debt? Marijuana tax revenue could offset that. Want to see less money going into drug dealers pockets? Legalized marijuana would end that.

Of course, if I was a smoker, legalization is the last thing I'd want. What's a pack of cigarettes go for nowadays?

[DonMoose 3]

Oh, absolutely. I'm not encouraging people to break the law. I'm just calling the existing law ridiculous. Want lower cost for health care/lower taxes/a chance to chip away at the national debt? Marijuana tax revenue could offset that. Want to see less money going into drug dealers pockets? Legalized marijuana would end that.

Of course, if I was a smoker, legalization is the last thing I'd want. What's a pack of cigarettes go for nowadays?

I understand that completely, and I agree yet again. It'd be great to be able to have some more revenue to offset the current deficit. I'm not trying to take away anything from the L.E. involved, kudos either way, but it might be time for our government to take consider it.

[khas143 13]

While the legalization of marijuana may be an option in the future, IT IS NOT LEGAL NOW!!!!!!!!!! Great job by PCSO and WCPD on this one. Hey, while those members on this thread that want it to be legal will voice their concerns on this thread I would ask how many of you have written your elected officals regarding this subject.... Let me guess..... NONE!

Anyway, great job getting over $200,000 worth of illegal narcotics off the street... (or field, or whatever).

[Guest metalcop80]

And if you are a pothead living in Putnam County, you are pretty pissed off.

[SageVigiles 1,194]

And if you are a pothead living in Putnam County, you are pretty pissed off.

Rightfully so, the price probably just skyrocketed. Probably my part of Fairfield County too, if the farm was really that big. I don't know about you, but I won't lose any sleep worrying about the smokeless potheads. Haha.

[firefighter36 52]

Raz, I agree 110%. Legal and Regulated marijuana has the possibility to bring about significant economic change,not to mention the crap illegal dealers cut their crops with to make it go further. Has anyone seen the News Documentary about Legal Growing in California? Interesting stuff.

[IzzyEng4 427]

JUST GREAT!!!!! I was gonna make some brownies for all of you but can't now!!!!!

Just joking of course!

[JetPhoto 626]

officers removed the plants by helicopter and secured it on the soccer field behind the Oscawana Lake Road School

Don't they know it's illegal to have pot in school zones. LoL

[ckroll 101]

OK, I've got to ask...... appropriate use of a helicopter? "As many as 300.." means in all probability fewer, and "some as tall as six feet" means one of them was. I saw no estimates of poundage associated, which might lead a cautious person to wonder if the haul was maybe a teensy weensy overstated? The fine photo in the paper is taken from the 'fisherman's angle'--low, wide, head on--- that naturally emphasizes the size of the catch. If there were a barn full of 6 footers, there would have been a shot of proud officers holding them up like prize corn at the State Fair.

Our intrepid organic farmers certainly weren't planning to get the stuff out using a helicopter, so, and this is just speculation, perhaps maybe an ATV would have been a completely reasonable choice. The FD does hiker rescues and brush fires all the time.

Without question, marijuana is dangerous. It is a gateway drug to cigarettes, which have a devastating effect on health and performance. I just wonder if the best use of manpower and resources was staging a helicopter mission, when less dramatic options may have been available. We can't just put it in a pile and let a good rain compost it? It is grass after all.

[Mofire24 27]

I think the helicopter was a great use of resources they spotted it from the air they were able to pin point the area. If you read the article the sheriff's dept did use some atv's the helicopter saved the ground units numberous trips by taking 2 huge bundles of the plants out of where they were. Leaving the plants there would have only made it easier for whoever might have planted them there. Good Job WCPD Aviation and PCSO

[WAS967 97]

I'd still love to know how they tell marijuana plants from any other plant? Chris192?

And I'm with the people in favor of legalization. Alcohol is far more dangerous a drug than Marijuana.

[ckroll 101]

I'd still love to know how they tell marijuana plants from any other plant? Chris192?

And I'm with the people in favor of legalization. Alcohol is far more dangerous a drug than Marijuana.

Not all that well, actually. Back when Putnam Valley [which has a reputation for alternative horticultural prowess] had its own PD, they raided the barn of a local LLL [left leaning liberal] and got quite the haul......of drying basil. The raid was front page news. The lab report, not so much.

I'm guessing any carefully cultivated garden a mile from the nearest house is, well, suspect.

Yes, air surveillance is a valuable resource if you consider 'homegrown' a threat to the fabric of society. I was questioning the value of air harvesting. If it was indeed days from harvesting, then they just seeded half the Valley for next year...... thank you PCSO!

[IzzyEng4 427]

I'd still love to know how they tell marijuana plants from any other plant? Chris192?

And I'm with the people in favor of legalization. Alcohol is far more dangerous a drug than Marijuana.

The marijuana plants are a very different color green than that of any other crop or woodland plant life. For a trained eye its easy to spot. I watched a program once on the DEA (I forget if it was a 60 minutes thing or on MSNBC) where they had been looking for crop growth in a corn field and the pot plants were a very bright green patch in the midst of the corn plants. There is got to be a Youtube vid or something posted somewhere online showing this. I'm working tonight doing 1st watch in fire alarm so I'll do a search an see if I can find something.

[tommyguy 104]

I was somewhat surprised to see the photo on the JN front page yesterday. A deputy sheriff standing by a huge pile of plants with no surgical face mask on, short sleeve shirt and holding a plant without gloves.

If those plants have matured you can ingest THC -- the active ingredient -- through your skin I believe. Definitely inhale it. Maybe not enough for a "contact high" but enough to make you feel pretty woozy later on.

Edited August 23, 2009 by tommyguy

[Remember585 815]

I hate potheads. They make lazy people like me look bad, not to mention they always seem to get the last taquito at 7-11 at 2AM when I'm hungry! And don't even get me started about how long it takes them to spit out their order at White Castle!!!!!!!!!!

[Raz 14]

Without question, marijuana is dangerous. It is a gateway drug to cigarettes, which have a devastating effect on health and performance.

Wait, I'm really bad at detecting sarcasm over the internet, so I apologize if I'm taking that literally. You just said that marijuana (the illegal substance that we spend the lion's share of an estimated $600 per second fighting) is dangerous primarily because it could possibly lead to people using a drug that they can buy at a Wal-Mart or deli or gas station?

Again, congratulations and thank you to all the police involved in this raid. I just wish the government would put their exceptional talents to use against meth cooks or gun runners.

[helicopper 1,050]

OK, I've got to ask...... appropriate use of a helicopter? "As many as 300.." means in all probability fewer, and "some as tall as six feet" means one of them was. I saw no estimates of poundage associated, which might lead a cautious person to wonder if the haul was maybe a teensy weensy overstated? The fine photo in the paper is taken from the 'fisherman's angle'--low, wide, head on--- that naturally emphasizes the size of the catch. If there were a barn full of 6 footers, there would have been a shot of proud officers holding them up like prize corn at the State Fair.

Our intrepid organic farmers certainly weren't planning to get the stuff out using a helicopter, so, and this is just speculation, perhaps maybe an ATV would have been a completely reasonable choice. The FD does hiker rescues and brush fires all the time.

Without question, marijuana is dangerous. It is a gateway drug to cigarettes, which have a devastating effect on health and performance. I just wonder if the best use of manpower and resources was staging a helicopter mission, when less dramatic options may have been available. We can't just put it in a pile and let a good rain compost it? It is grass after all.

OK, here are a couple of answers...

I can tell you that it was at least 300 plants, in all likelihood closer to 400. I'll venture a guess that the weight was about 1500 pounds but it is just that a SWAG on my part. Skepticism is one thing but now you're criticizing the press photographer for his artistic eye? Come on, the photos are photos not evidence.

As for the location, it was extremely remote and there was no good way in or out. Even the FD gator couldn't get to the location; they did try to use every resource available. The "intrepid farmers" as you call them would certainly have had their work cut out for them but you'll have to ask them how the intended to do it. Could the Sheriff's Office hauled them all out by ground? Sure, but it would have taken dozens of officers hours. It took the helicopter just minutes to haul out several hundred pounds at a time. So which is the more appropriate use of resources?

Appropriate use of a helicopter? Dramatic? Why does everyone seem to sensationalize the use of helicopters by law enforcement in this part of the country? The helicopter is just another resource in the law enforcement toolbox and it can, and should, be used for a multitude of purposes. We, in the Northeast, are the slowest to embrace them and their advantages. It boggles my mind that police officers will actually tell me that they opted not to call for the helicopter because it was "just a larceny" they were in a foot pursuit for. If you think it's important enough to get out of your car and run after someone, I'll come help you catch him! Sheesh...

Tell me, if this was a brush fire and the alternatives were FF's humping nearly an hour into the woods with a 5 gallon Indian can or a helicopter dropping hundreds of gallons of water at a time, which would you choose? Would it be dramatic or approrpriate use of resources then?

This isn't novel or unique - it's done around the Country all the time (in fact it was the State Police helicopter used a couple of years ago in eastern Putnam to haul plants to ground units). Here's just a small sample of such activity recently ('tis the season after all).

http://www.napavalleyregister.com/articles...67477182153.txt

http://www.timesnews.net/article.php?id=9015772

http://www.bclocalnews.com/bc_cariboo/will...s/53524282.html

http://www.mailtribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/a.../NEWS/908210310

http://www.wnewsj.com/main.asp?SectionID=4...amp;TM=25940.17

http://www.thedenverchannel.com/news/20496700/detail.html

http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/index.ssf...n_for_mari.html

http://www.marionstar.com/article/20090808...2/-1/newsfront2

http://www.sltrib.com/news/ci_13010568

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/crime/...44552&tsp=1

http://www.recordherald.com/main.asp?Secti...rticleID=133847

http://www2.morganton.com/content/2009/aug...100-pot-plants/

For all those who would claim that this is a victimless crime or one that isn't worthy of investigation, see how many articles involve the recovery of firearms also.

Finally, what makes people think that an operation like this means we're not after meth-labs or gun runners? Can't we do this too?

[tommyguy 104]

I hate potheads.

Yesterday I wrote I was surprised a deputy was shown handling a plant with no protective gear and John followed it by posting the above. But if he was implying I'm a pothead he was dead wrong. I wouldn't go near the stuff.

Let me relate something. When a good buddy of mine began his firefighting career over 25 years ago he used to take a lot of hazing from the guys because he liked to put the Scott Airpak on. Especially when they weren't sure what was burning. By the time he retired -- and in great health -- it was sop.

I work in a factory where we use a lot of chemicals. They're mostly benign but we're dealing with big quantities. Part of my job is insisting the guys wear protective gear -- gloves, safety glasses, long sleeves, etc.

It only takes few minutes to protect yourself and it can save you a lot of grief later on.

[efdcapt115 1,511]

OK, I've got to ask...... appropriate use of a helicopter?

I can't think of a more appropriate use of a helicopter than an assist on a job like this. It's my understanding that pot plants give off big heat; easily spotted from the air, with the help of thermal imaging.

Congrats to the agencies involved.

Another thing I have to add is I think sometimes too many of us take the operation of a LE helicopter for granted. A couple of days ago I posted a link to a story about 4 soldiers dying in a BlackHawk during a training mission in Colorado.

Flying is a dangerous business. LE helicopters work in extremely difficult operations; adding to that danger. We should all take a minute to remember that. Guys like Chris; LE's eye in the sky provide an invaluable service to help keep the rest of us safe. Therefore I thank them.

[Raz 14]

Flying is a dangerous business. LE helicopters work in extremely difficult operations; adding to that danger. We should all take a minute to remember that. Guys like Chris; LE's eye in the sky provide an invaluable service to help keep the rest of us safe. Therefore I thank them.

Well said. We often take for granted the risks that these guys take, just because it's become so routine in our lives.