El Paso Times Editorial Board
EL PASO, Texas — Sheriff Richard Wiles is using dope money, confiscated from dopes and dope rings, to burn dope. It’s a good thing all the way around.
This month, Wiles presented to the public a narcotics-burning incinerator that can destroy 1,500 pounds of drugs at a time. Yes, fully destroy because the temperature inside the device can reach 1,800 degrees. You don’t want to try roasting marshmallows in that thing.
The $160,000 incinerator was paid for with confiscated drug money. Now, that’s a solid one-two punch to the drug cartels. First punch: The law has some of their money from illicit drug deals. Second punch: The law is burning some of their would-be profits.
And it’s a money-saving deal for county taxpayers, too. Prior to the incinerator, the Sheriff’s Office had been trucking the confiscated drugs to a Tucson, Ariz., company that charged 85 cents a pound.
Wiles said that was about 60,000 pounds a year, along with costs for transportation and manpower.
Wiles said his department would charge others to use the incinerator, but at far less than 85 cents a pound.
Anthony Police Chief Edward Miranda said his department will rent time at the incinerator.
And Thomas Downs, the custodian of Sheriff’s Office evidence, said, “As soon as I get the dope awarded through the courts, I can just throw it in there.”
This is the first such big dope-burning device in the area, and a true money-saving device.
This is one good, economical way to fight the illegal drug trade in this country. Use doper money to “disappear” their product, and paying for the incinerator with drug cash that never got back into their pockets.
Copyright 2011 El Paso Times