STORIES FROM THE PAST

50 years ago

CALEXICO — All vehicles crossing from Mexico to the United States will receive “at least a primary inspection,” involving entry into the vehicle, and a careful search of the glove compartment, trunk, window wells and other areas of the car once President Richard Nixon’s “Operation Intercept” goes into effect.

C. Gordon Liddy, special assistant to the U.S. Secretary of the Treasury, said yesterday that the intensified search procedure will go into effect at the Calexico port of entry as well as other border stations as part of an overall air, land and sea operation to halt drug smuggling from Mexico to the United States.

Liddy, who spoke to a large audience of local merchants, law enforcement officials and other citizens at Jefferson School, was met with hostility by Calexico’s business community, who feel that Operation Intercept will hurt their businesses.

The increase inspection will cause massive traffic jams at the border, and ultimately discourage Mexicali citizens from crossing and buying their goods at Calexico stores, they said.

Liddy, who dubbed Operation Intercept the “biggest, broadest-based enforcement task ever mounted,” elucidated the program, then answered a barrage of questions from a pressing audience.

He said he hoped that eventual implementation of the project would lead to an eventual downturn of seizures of drugs at the border. Marijuana seizures have increased 776 percent in five years, and heroin 152 percent.

“A tremendous number of young people smuggle the stuff in, and we hope this will warn them and discourage them from doing it in the future,” Liddy said.

40 years ago

IMPERIAL — The city will keep its police department and will not contract with the Imperial County Sheriff’s Office for police protection, the City Council decided Wednesday night after a public hearing at Ben Hulse School cafeteria.

In the council meeting following the hearing, the council voted to advertise “as soon as possible” for a new police chief to replace Paul Wheeler whose resignation will become effective by the end of the year.

An estimated 300 attended the hearing and made it clear they would not like to lose the local police department.

Mayor Michael Kelley opened the hearing by acknowledging “this is a very hot issue,” and stressing that any action taken would be based on city residents’ input.

Councilwoman Patricia Burk explained that the package offered by the Sheriff’s Office for police protection of the city would cost $153,737, as against $198,301 cost budgeted by the council, or a saving of $44,564.

Sheriff Oren Fox then explained that even if the council decides to enter into the agreement with the Sheriff’s Office, the supervisors would have to vote on it.

“Everyone should understand,” he said, “that law enforcement must be provided so that life and property are protected. I’m here this evening not to sell you on the idea of a contract with the county but to explain how it would work.”

He said the people assigned to the job would be “designated to the city of Imperial.” Officers would not be pulled off their duty in the city except in case of emergencies, similar to the way it is handled at present.

30 years ago

As El Centro Police Sgt. Jim Townsel and other undercover narcotics officers rummaged through a motel room they raided Monday on Adams Avenue, he said drug dealers and users could expect to see more of him and his men.

“We’re anticipating doing about three of these (search warrants) a week,” Townsel said, carrying from the room a stereo speaker believed to be stolen property.

Townsel recently returned from an assignment with the Imperial County Narcotics Task Force to head the El Centro department’s newly formed narcotics division. While El Centro officers have always been on the lookout for drug activity, Assistant Chief Harold Carter said recently the volume of drug-related crime made it necessary to have Townsel and two other officers work on nothing but narcotics cases.

“The reason we decided to do it is because 80 percent of our crime is associated with narcotics use or sales,” Carter said. “The thefts, the burglaries, most are committed by hypes (addicts). We’ve had a lot of overdoses, a lot of deaths, a lot of assaults associated with drugs.”