New anti-drug message comes on wheels

When Clifford Deutsch rumbles through a neighborhood in his tricked-out 2000 Ford Expedition, complete with spinning hubcaps, a DVD player and a sound system so powerful it drains the truck's battery, he's sending a message to kids.

That message, he said, is look what drug money can buy — and what the Collier County Sheriff's Office will, most definitely, take away.

Deutsch is a sergeant with the Sheriff's Office whose job is to intercept illegal contraband being trafficked in Florida. The Expedition, he said, is the former ride of choice of Antonio Lopez, 26, of Lehigh Acres. About six months ago Deutsch caught Lopez trafficking nine bags of cocaine worth nearly $10,000. Lopez was federally indicted and is in federal custody, Deutsch said.

Shortly after the arrest, Deutsch said he had an idea about how to use the truck.

"I thought it would be a great tool to educate the youth of today to not use drugs or traffic illegal contraband in Collier County," he said.

Deutsch went through the process of having the Expedition legally seized and added to the agency's fleet. He then had the truck outfitted with a light bar, siren and a sheriff's star on the side. He also had a message added to the back and sides of the truck — "Confiscated from a Drug Dealer."

There was no cost to taxpayers to have the Expedition outfitted, Deutsch said. The light bar and siren were donated by Illinois-based Federal Signal Corp., which manufactures emergency products. The tires, rims and spinners were donated by Naples-based Super Trucks. Naples-based Diego's Signs did the custom striping.

"I didn't want the community to have any financial responsibilities outfitting the vehicle," Deutsch said.

Matt Bolen, owner of Super Trucks, said he has worked with the Sheriff's Office before and was happy to make a donation.

"I've got two little girls myself and I don't want them to get mixed up with drugs," Bolen said.

For Adam Black, a sales representative for Federal Signal Corp. and an ex-narcotics agent, helping Deutsch was an easy decision.

"Cliff was so serious about his drive and motivation," Black said. "We're both narcotics cops so we know how dangerous drugs are and how valuable it is to educate children before they have to make a decision of whether to use or not to use."

Although the Expedition has a light bar, siren and sheriff's star, it will not be used for patrol, Deutsch said. Instead, it will be used for demonstrations and public relations purposes.

"I think it's more important to educate the youth and the community than to have a routine patrol," Deutsch said. "We think it's too valuable to tie up like that."

Deutsch said the truck, which he's been driving for about two weeks, is already helping him spread his anti-drug message. He said he's already brought the Expedition to a DARE graduation and many of the kids wanted to stand next to it.

"I can't drive down the road without pulling up to a traffic light and somebody giving me the thumbs-up," Deutsch said.

Many of the vehicles the Sheriff's Office confiscates are added to the department's fleet and used for undercover work, Deutsch said. Some, he said, are simply auctioned off. Deutsch said that if the Expedition proves popular, he hopes more seized vehicles will be converted into rolling anti-drug messages.

"I hope it's perceived as a positive tool," Deutsch said. "Hopefully whoever is thinking about transporting contraband through our county will think twice."