Regis DeArza

Though whether Parrish provided alcohol to minors with this money is unclear, Task Force Commander Regis DeArza says the world of illegal drug trade is rife with unsavory behavior, the least of which may be underage drinking.
...
"Using these people (informants), we try to take every precaution we can," said DeArza, a 27 year veteran of the Department of Public Safety.
...
"We're certainly not going to knowingly ply alcohol to a minor to get them to go do something, that's just not reality," DeArza said."But in that kind of environment, it's plausible a minor could be drinking, smoking marijuana, using methamphetamine, cocaine all those things could be taking place."

Regardless, Ginsburg believes the under age drinking allegations -- Zinz has nothing to gain or lose by sticking to her account, he says -- and wants the city council to put a stop to it.DeArza says he supports any city council direction on the matter.

Captain Regis DeArza, Commander, Hays County Narcotics Task Force, San Marcos

Left Field is still scratching its head over that conundrum, after an early November phone call from Regis DeArza, the commander of the Hays County Narcotics Task Force.DeArza was apparently delivering the official response to Nate Blakeslee's investigative report on the shooting death of Wimberley resident Rusty Windle by a task force member last May ("Zero Tolerance," October 29).
...
In a five-minute tirade, DeArza (who phoned to object to the Observer's "irresponsible journalism") managed to cite as military precedent the 82nd Airborne Division, the Gulf War, and the Vietnam War.By the time he hung up (without saying goodbye), the one-sided exchange had revealed less about the Observer's reporting than it had about the mindset of law enforcement in Hays County.

According to DeArza (who was not present at the raid), ski masks were not worn by the police at Windle's house that night.Yet in two separate interviews with suspects whose residences were also raided that night, the sources reported that ski masks were worn by the black-uniformed task force officers serving the warrants.DeArza angrily declined to answer whether or not it was standard procedure for task force members to wear the masks, insisting only that none were worn at Windle's house.He also noted that his task force works with only one A.T.F. agent, not two.That was it for corrections.In fact, DeArza was more concerned with what he considers omissions from the story.

In DeArza's editorial judgment, for example, the story omitted crucial information: DeArza's own police and military resume.The task force commander pointed out forcibly that he is a 31-year law-enforcement veteran, a former D.P.S. anti-narcotics officer, a former assistant director in the Governor's narcotics control program, and a Vietnam veteran.Likewise, DeArza said, one of the officers at the door that night served during the Gulf War (in the 82nd Airborne Division).

DeArza took particular exception to the report that Windle's gun was later found to be unloaded (although he did not dispute that it was)."I've had plenty of guns pointed in my face over the last twenty-five odd years, my friend," he recalled angrily, "and when you've got a gun in your face, I'd like you to be able to tell me whether that son of a bitch is loaded or not."DeArza was kind enough to offer our reporter the opportunity to serve as "point man" on the next raid, although he did not wait for a reply: "We'll let you go up and knock on the door, Nate.We'll let you do it, okay!?Punk!"With that, he slammed down the phone.
...
Regis DeArza has served in both Vietnam and Wimberley, so he ought to know the answer.Come to think of it, maybe he is the answer.

"Focus!Focus!"