History of success fuels Polk’s Drug Task Force into the new year
Never idle, always on. Eyes open, ears listening; a team that’s always connecting the dots for the next step. By design, the average law-abiding citizen doesn’t witness the day-to-day operations of the Polk County Drug Task Force, they only hear about the result.
In 2022, there were 78 arrests, 25 search warrants, more than 1,000 surveillance operations and nearly 200 instances of the task force assisting other agencies when called upon.
“This task force is the best I’ve ever seen,” said task force Commander Jonathan Fuller, Rockmart Police deputy chief and a veteran law enforcement officer with 27 years of experience.
“A lot of them end up failing for different reasons, a lot of times it’s hard to get all of the agencies involved on the same page, but not this one. This task force has a history of success.”
That success is due in part to the constant communication of the agencies that make up the task force: the Cedartown Police Department, the Rockmart Police Department, the Polk County Police Department, the Polk County Sheriff’s Office and the Polk-Haralson District Attorney’s Office. But the communication doesn’t stop there.
Fuller explained that partnering with other law enforcement agencies outside of Polk County is like bringing in a missing puzzle piece.
“Many times, the investigation here leads to other counties, other states. Not only can we arrest dealers here, but that can also lead to even bigger drug rings and getting rid of a major trafficking operation,” Fuller stated.
The Polk County Drug Task Force had several notable operations in 2022. One in particular saw the arrest of a Cedartown man, Martin Goicochea Jr. Goicohea was charged with multiple offenses including trafficking methamphetamine, possession of methamphetamine, and possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute. Fuller said that two pounds of liquid methamphetamine, over a pound of marijuana, five ounces of psilocybin mushrooms and a half pound of cocaine was discovered during the search.
Officers also found 32 pounds of methamphetamine, an unusually large amount, Fuller said. According to calculations from the Polk DTF, the confiscated 32 pounds of meth was enough to furnish a typical “dose” to 15,000 users.
The Polk DTF also removed more than 500,000 THC vapes (the substance that’s primarily responsible for the effects of marijuana on a person’s mental state) from a warehouse on Wissahickon Avenue in Cedartown. They also assisted the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration and Rome High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas with arrests and removal of two kilograms of methamphetamine.
The drug task force is proud of their relationship with the District Attorney’s Office.
“Every step we take is fully supported by Jack Browning, our district attorney.” Fuller stated, and according to Browning, the feeling is mutual. “We basically operate as one unit,” said Browning. “We’re constantly consulting with each other, keeping each other in the loop. It’s that type of communication that is necessary to successful prosecution.”
A prime example of that successful prosecution took place in April 2022, when Audel Mondragon was sentenced to 15 years in prison on charges of distributing multiple kilo amounts of methamphetamine in Cedartown.
Achievements happen daily within the DTF’s operations, but these achievements aren’t always visible to the citizenry, explains Cedartown Police Chief and DTF Control Board member Jamie Newsome.
“The nature of the work they do has covert aspects to it. To build a solid case is more than just snatching a street-level drug dealer off the corner. It’s making connections and digging in deep, working with other agencies to rid our county and surrounding counties of these high-level drug distributors,” Newsome said
The DTF encourages anyone with drug-related information to contact the drug tip line at 678-9014644 or via email at pcdtf@ polkga.org.