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Data released by the Colorado Bureau of Investigation this week showed a drop in DUI and drug-related arrests, but that doesnât mean drug trafficking in Mesa County has slowed, officials say.
Steven Knight, with the Drug Enforcement Agencyâs Grand Junction office, said he works with partners at the state and local level on the Western Colorado Drug Task Force and drug trafficking has not decreased in the area.
âWeâre in daily contact with all these drug task forces,â Knight said. âWeâre all working the drug cases together simultaneously. Weâre not seeing a decline in drug trafficking, not anything significant, and in fact right now just recently it seems to be on the uptick.â
As Mesa County continues the early stages of its vaccine rollout, some in the county seem to feel the time for wearing masks is over.
Since Dec. 1, the Grand Junction Police Department has answered four removal calls and one assist for patrons not wearing masks and/or refusing to leave the premises at businesses in town. In the past few days, GJPD officers have responded to College Liquors on Patterson Road and REI on Independent Avenue to remove individuals.
âIt doesnât appear that any of these were organized groups,â Grand Junction Police Department spokesperson Callie Berkson said. âThe overwhelming majority of our community has voluntarily complied with the state mask mandate and has shown a great deal of understanding and respect towards other community members and businesses following the mandate.â
This year, because of COVID-19, law enforcement will be out earlier than midnight.
Bars, breweries and wineries across Mesa County are now participating in the Five Star program and able to open up to more capacity for later into the night, though consumption must end by 10 p.m. according to Mesa County Public Health.
GJPD spokesperson Callie Berkson said officers typically will answer back-to-back calls for service as well as proactive patrol whenever they are on shift and that hasnât changed whether restaurants were closed or offering outside dining.
Obviously, police officers have spent less time answering calls to bars during the pandemic but active patrol has looked much the same through the fall and winter, she said.
Memorial honoring who have died from COVID-19 is vandalized gjsentinel.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from gjsentinel.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.