<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, helvetica, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Joker1.5:
If you are prior service post when and where.
[This message has been edited by Joker1.5 (edited July 08, 2000).]<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
Yeah, I've been to the CZ, Joker. I spend 13 years in the military, and served with 3/7th SFG, 2/75th, on active duty, from 1973 to 1981, with 3/12th SFG and 4th Force Recon, 4th MarDiv in the reserves, 1981 to 1986. I left as an E-7, PSG. I've been in law enforcement since the early 1980's and have worked as a local cops and as a "fed."
Heavy cover and small patches limit the "real" cops only in raising the "nuisance factor." Unless we really, really want the grower we usually only eradicate the small patches.
If it's an easy one, such as hand watered, frequently visited, etc., we'll spend the time early in the season and try to make an arrest.
Heavy cover provides better concealment for the camera. Now days we remote the signal and take the growers away from the site, in most cases. In cases where we want to take the growers in their patch, we still hide right on top of them.
Mean dogs are a myth for most outdoor, remote gardens. I have found that growers who are growing in remote locations don't bring dogs because they don't want them barking and alerting anyone that people are in the woods. The growers who do bring their dogs, for the most part, have friendly dogs.
One incident that comes to mind is a tape we have of the dog coming up to the camera man and sniffing the camera lense. You can see the camera man's hand come out and pat the dog's head. The dog then leaves and goes back to the patch without alerting.
The one time I had a dog alert on my team, the grower hollared at the dog for making noise. When we did the search warrant on the grower's house, we posed for a poloroid pic of the team with the dog and left it for the grower.
The only time I have encountered mean dogs is at the growers houses. Unfortunately, we have had to shoot several when we are executing our warrants. Seems like a waste of a good animal.
My team is not a sniper team, and my agency is frequnetly in the news. I just prefer to keep me and my operation out of the news and have been very successful at it. As a federal agent, my job soes not depend on my boss getting elected every four years, so I leave the press to the guys who's boss needs the media attention.
Most of the citizens in my area are not even aware that my agency has the capabilities and resources that it does, and I like it that way. Every season I see my counterparts in local law enforcement get awards and promtions based on operations that I conduct and/or help plan, and it's a good thing.
Finally, I'm trying to scare or bluff anyone. As Poyeye says, "I yam, what I yam!"
