CENTER — This past week, Reserve Officer Adam Fresquez deployed the Center Police Department drug detection K-9 several times, making three traffic stops and using the dog to discover a trap car, which is a vehicle that has been modified to hide and transport drugs.

According to CPD Chief Dale Meek, “Reserve Officer Adam Fresquez has made heavy use of the drug dog with three stops that yielded a trap car (vehicle designed to transport drugs) traveling from Denver to Cortez and two stops which each had narcotics with one being arrested for trafficking narcotics.”

Meek explained that the suspect arrested for trafficking narcotics was Jonathen Lopez, who was on parole after being recently released. The suspect was also wanted on a warrant for domestic violence-harassment and resisted arrest.

According to CPD, while searching Lopez before the arrest, methamphetamines were found on his person in dealer-level amounts.

No information was available at this time on the other two traffic stops initiated by Fresquez, as the investigations are ongoing.

Also of note, Sgt. Aaron Fresquez of the Center Police Department has recently returned from an intensive eight-week K-9 train the trainer course to endorse him to train and certify other K-9 teams. This step is just one in a self-sustaining K-9 program that is designed to impact the continuing drug problem in the Town of Center.

Coffee with the Chief will be held on Dec. 4, with a discussion of the K-9 program, year-end crime statistics and a meet-and-greet with Sgt. Fresquez and K-9 officer Kitt. The location and time will be announced on the CPD Facebook page later this week.