Pubdate: Sun, 02 Jul 2000
Source: Evansville Courier & Press (IN)
Copyright: 2000 The Evansville Courier
Contact:  P. O. Box 268 Evansville, IN 47702-0268
Website: http://courier.evansville.net/
Author: Len Wells, Courier & Press correspondent (618) 842-2159 or DRUG-RELATED ARRESTS GOING THROUGH ROOF

Drug arrests in Southeastern Illinois are up dramatically, according
to the latest statistics released by the Illinois State Police.

Statewide, the number of arrests for controlled substances such as
methamphetamine and cocaine were up 20 percent from 1998 to 1999.

However, in some Southeastern Illinois counties, the number of arrests
for meth-related crimes has risen several hundred percent.

Earlier this month, James Wexstten, chief judge of the Second Judicial
Circuit, called a meeting of all area judges, prosecutors, and
probation officers, declaring methamphetamine-related crime had
reached epidemic proportions in Southern Illinois.

In White County, 230 drug arrests were made last year, a nearly 79
percent increase from the year before.

The greatest jump was in methamphetamine arrests. Last year, state and
county police made 69 methamphetamine or cocaine arrests in White
County, compared to 19 the year before - a 263 percent increase.

"Eighty percent of all my criminal case load is drug-related," said
Kevin Kakac, Wayne County state's attorney. "Most of that 80 percent
is made up of methamphetamine-related cases.

In Wayne County, 106 drug arrests were made in 1999, nearly double
from the year before. Methamphetamine-related cases amounted to 43
last year, a 230 percent increase from 1998.

"It all started in September of 1997 when we busted a handful of meth
makers over by Wayne City," Kakac said. "We can trace just about every
meth case today back to those few defendants who brought the meth
recipe to Wayne County."

Edwards County showed a 500 percent increase in the number of
meth-related arrests from 1998 to 1999. Just one controlled substance
arrest was made in 1998. Six meth-related arrested were made last
year. The numbers for this year are expected to be even higher.

Statistics for the Illinois State Police Drug Crime Arrest report come
from Uniform Crime Reports provided by police departments, sheriff's
offices, colleges and universities, and the secretary of state's office.

Statewide, the number of drug arrests made last year totalled 106,609,
a 14.4 percent increase over the previous year.

Hamilton and Wabash Counties were the only Southeastern Illinois
counties that showed a significant drop in drug arrests.

Only two drug arrests were made in Hamilton County last year - the
same as the year before.

In Wabash County, the total number of drug arrests fell from 72 to 60
- - a 16 percent drop. Marijuana arrests fell from 32 to 27, and
methamphetamine and cocaine arrests were down 10 percent. Drug arrests
fell 35 percent in Lawrence County, according to the state police.

That was not the story in Gallatin County, where total drug arrests
climbed 145 percent between 1998 and 1999. Like other Southern
Illinois counties, most traffic was in controlled substances, such as
methamphetamine. Controlled substance arrests in Gallatin jumped from
5 in 1998 to 32 in 1999, an increase of 540 percent.

In Saline County, drug arrests increased 42.5 percent. Marijuana
accounted for most of the activity there, jumping 27 percent, compared
to an 8 percent increase in arrests for controlled substances.
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