News Photo by Julie Riddle Sheriffs, police chiefs, prosecutors, and other members of the Huron Undercover Narcotics Team board meet Thursday to discuss the drug-fighting team’s work in Northeast Michigan.

ALPENA — Officers injured while arresting violent offenders high on methamphetamines, jails full of drug dealers plotting together for when they return to the streets, and drug-addled inmates consigned to the jail’s restraint chair because of uncontainable destruction and brutality are a very real part of the fight against drugs in Northeast Michigan, according to members of the Huron Undercover Narcotics Team’s governing board.

A quarterly meeting for HUNT, held Thursday at the Michigan State Police-Alpena post, gave a somber reminder of the difficulty — and sometimes physical danger — in fighting drug crime.

“We’ve had some hellacious things take place at our jail,” said Alpena County Sheriff Steven Kieleszewski.

The jail, he said, was once mostly inhabited by drunk drivers, domestic violence cases, and an occasional person caught with marijuana or cocaine.

Now, “my jail is full of felons,” he lamented.

Seconded by nods from other sheriffs in the room, Kieliszewski described an influx of inmates who have been mentally altered by drugs, combative and riotous to the degree that the jail is developing a cell extraction team, officers who are specially trained to handle violent jail incidents.

Alpena County Prosecutor Ed Black told the board he has seen a surge of charges for resisting and obstructing arrest, often for drug charges. The violence of those being apprehended has led to several police officer injuries in recent months.

He described the current and future danger of housing multiple drug manufacturers and dealers who spend their incarceration coordinating future drug activity or fighting with other inmates.

Marijuana, though legal within certain guidelines — the region’s first recreational marijuana shop opened in Rogers Township on Tuesday — is also a growing problem, said Alcona County Prosecutor Tom Weichel, commenting that the state’s new recreational marijuana law has created a black market for the drug.

Recently, he shared, a 17-year-old from his county was caught downstate with 4 pounds of marijuana, a handgun, a ski mask, and assorted drug paraphernalia.

A week later, the same person was caught in Alcona with more of the drug and supplies for distribution.

The teen is being charged with possession with intent to deliver.

“We’ve seen it already with kids. So what do you think is coming?” Weichel asked the board.

Julie Riddle can be reached at 989-358-5693, jriddle@thealpenanews.com or on Twitter @jriddleX.

In other business

The governing board of the Huron Undercover Narcotics Team on Thursday also:

∫ heard from HUNT Commander Detective Lt. Stuart Sharp about a string of arrests made in October and November. The team’s activity netted several distributors on their way back north after picking up shipments of drugs downstate, plus several locals in possession of meth-making equipment.

∫ voted on a required statement specifying how any money coming to HUNT from federal forfeitures would be spent. Federal drug-related seizures of property or money are rare, according to Sharp, because federal crimes are more rare. Police are permitted to seize property that results from, or can be traced back to, illegal activity, including drug activity. HUNT receives some money through the state’s drug forfeiture law.

∫ heard from Rogers City Police Chief Jamie Meyer about the Rogers City City Council’s question about input non-voting advisory members are able to have on the HUNT board. Advisory board members present Thursday, including representatives from all Alpena, Alcona, Montmorency, and Presque Isle county governments, said they often are assigned to ad hoc committees that are a part of the board’s underlying decision making.

∫ heard from Alcona County Sheriff Scott Stephenson that his department is still short-staffed and unable to furnish a member to HUNT’s team, as the other participating counties have done. Joe Brewbaker, Presque Isle County sheriff, reported continued success after this summer’s introduction of a county deputy onto the HUNT team. Alpena Police Department Chief Joel Jett reported the city officer assigned to the team had to withdraw from that position for personal reasons, but the city will soon furnish another officer to the team.