Colorado mountain police department looks to curb I-70 drug trafficking
The sounds of sirens and blue and red flashing lights illuminated the dash cameras of Idaho Springs police officers as they followed now convicted felon Christopher Wallman. He swerved on Interstate 70, eventually crashed and then tried to run. When Wallman was detained, police found 162 grams of fentanyl pills along with 83 grams of cocaine with him.
While new video released by Idaho Springs Police Department is from a stop from summer 2024, it's an example of something the agency wants to eliminate, as it works to curb drug trafficking. It's an effort that hits close to home for the first responders Idaho Springs -- something communities nationwide must deal with on some level.
"Idaho Springs experienced an overdose death of a resident not too long ago. We were able to successfully prosecute the person who provided fentanyl to this resident, and he was well known in our community," Chief Nathan Buseck told CBS News Colorado. "Fentanyl is dangerous. It is 100 times more potent than morphine."
With I-70 running through the city itself, it becomes the local police's job to stop criminal activity that migrates through their jurisdiction.
"It is well known to law enforcement that I-70 is a corridor for drug trafficking," Buseck said. "Certainly with Denver just being a short 30 miles down the road and Grand Junction to the west, we have had a number of cases where we have intercepted drugs moving from the metro area moving towards Grand Junction."
It's partially why Buseck has identified a drug sniffing K-9 unit as one of the tools his team could really use. Buseck said he hopes to have support for the funding required for the dog through grants.
"I know for a fact that we have had traffic stops where we have let people go because it was what we needed to do within the rules of law and the constitution," Buseck said. "Having a dog where you can do an open-air sniff, and not hold the person any longer than you need to would definitely benefit not only the people of Idaho Springs but the citizens of Clear Creek County. "
