PHOENIX, AZ (July 25, 2013) – Maricopa County Attorney Bill Montgomery has been recognized with a Meritorious Service Award from the Arizona Narcotic Officers Association (ANOA) for his outstanding efforts in support of Arizona Drug Law Enforcement. The ANOA, whose members include law enforcement professionals, corrections officers, crime analysts and prosecuting attorneys, presented Montgomery with the award at the 25th annual ANOA training conference in Tempe, AZ.
“I share this award with the prosecutors and support staff within the County Attorney’s Office who have been instrumental in the success we have seen in holding drug offenders accountable and lessening the impact drug-related crimes have on our community,” remarked Montgomery. “We look forward to continued cooperation with our law enforcement partners in addressing these offenses and promoting a drug-free lifestyle to young people throughout Arizona,” he added.
In honoring the County Attorney, the ANOA cited Montgomery’s commitment to ensuring that Arizona citizens have accurate information about dangerous drugs and their synthetic equivalents in the face of misleading efforts to legalize marijuana, establish a so-called medical marijuana program and attempts by criminals to evade laws banning harmful substances such as Spice and bath salts. Under Montgomery’s leadership, the County Attorney’s Office has sought to clarify the constitutionality of Arizona’s Medical Marijuana Act, which is currently pending before the State Court of Appeals. The County Attorney was also a strong supporter of recent legislation banning the primary chemical composition used to make a wide variety of synthetic drugs.
County prosecutions last year for possession, use, sale or transportation of dangerous drugs rose 17 percent from their level in 2010, the year Montgomery was elected County Attorney, and are on pace to be up more than 20 percent by the end of 2013. Nevertheless, during the last two fiscal years, the County Attorney’s Office has utilized substance abuse diversion programs which have successfully benefitted 4,263 people charged with possessing a controlled substance.
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