Official: Taos Ski Valley raid not result of ticket quota
TAOS, N.M. —Some
in Taos are livid after they say Forest Service Officers showed up to
the Ski Valley wearing SWAT gear and began searching cars and handing
out citations.
“I could not be more upset about this,” said former Gov. Gary
Johnson, who is also a resident of Taos. “I could not be more upset.
Somebody needs to lose their job.”
The act is called a Saturation
Patrol, and it was performed recently at Taos Ski Valley by four
National Forest Police officers and a drug-sniffing dog. The quartet
began citing people for possessing marijuana, driving recklessly and
having cracked windshields.
VIDEO | Official: Taos Ski Valley raid not result of ticket quota
“This
is a total waste of taxpayer dollars,” said Johnson. “We're U.S.
taxpayers. We own the forest service. Why are we subject to this? Why? I
want to know.”
According to the U.S. Forest Service, officers
said they often see people driving dangerously in the Ski Valley area,
speeding, drinking and using drugs. The saturation patrol was designed
to catch those people breaking the law and putting others in danger.
The
man in charge of the forest service says he takes the concerns very
seriously, however, and is reviewing how his officers interacted with
the public. Some believed the body and car searched violated rights.
“There’s a little bit of overreach, mission creep,” said Taos radio host Marcus Sanders. “It’s real. It’s happening.”
Forestry
officials said they’re reviewing the incident and that they have no
other patrols planned at Taos Ski Valley or any other ski resort. They
said patrol had nothing to do with meeting “ticket quotas.”
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