Pubdate: Sun, 11 Mar 2001
Source: Tacoma News Tribune (WA)
Copyright: 2001 Tacoma News Inc.
Contact:  PO Box 11000, Tacoma, Wa. 98411
Fax: 253-597-8742
Website: http://www.tribnet.com/
Author: Stacey Burns

FINANCES IMPEDE ANTI-DRUG CAMPAIGN

METH: Police, Sheriffs Lack Resources To Handle Epidemic Effectively

When it comes to fighting meth, the Pierce County Sheriff's Department has 
a luxury - money and resources - that no other law enforcement agency in 
the state has received so far.

"Pierce County is the only one right now able to proactively attack," said 
King County sheriff's Sgt. Roger Thompson, head of the drug enforcement 
unit. "Everyone else is in the same boat: We have a problem and it's 
growing but we don't have the resources."

The Tacoma Police Department, King County Sheriff's Office and Washington 
State Patrol have not received similar emergency funding, though the 
agencies continue to discover more and more meth labs.

"Our budget was pretty tight last year," said Tacoma City Manager Ray Corpuz.

The police department's meth-fighting efforts come out of its $109.8 
million allocation of the city's budget. Detectives combating the meth 
explosion said they are frustrated that no money is dedicated solely to the 
effort.

"If we keep breaking down labs and buying street product, all we're going 
to do is keep chasing our tails into bankruptcy," said Capt. Bill Meeks, 
commander of Tacoma's special investigations division.

"If we don't interdict this problem, we are talking about a long time in 
policing that's centered on meth."

Tacoma police have a 14-member lab team. Each member has full-time patrol 
or investigative duties elsewhere in the department. In 2000, the team 
dismantled 141 labs, up from 132 in 1999 and 18 in 1998.

Officer Shawn Stringer, a member of the team, said he averages a call a day 
to evaluate a possible lab. That takes about an hour out of his patrol 
duties. About every three days, Stringer has to break down a lab.

"By far, this ties up the department the most," he said. "We are completely 
response-oriented."

Tacoma police receive federal funds because the city lies in the Northwest 
High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area, a seven-county area in Washington 
that's been targeted because of the growing drug problem.

Last year, Tacoma and Pierce County split $511,000 in federal anti-drug 
funds, using the money to pay for travel, equipment, supplies and officers' 
overtime.

In King County, the situation is much the same. The sheriff's department 
13-member lab team dismantled twice as many drug labs in 2000 than it did 
in 1999, Sgt. Thompson said. The team dealt with 125 labs in 2000 and 60 
the previous year.

The agency received a $88.9 million piece of the county's 2001 budget. That 
money pays for its anti-meth investigations.

"We are looking to obtain federal help," Thompson added.

Last month, Thurston County commissioners received a $375,000 federal grant 
that allows the sheriff's department to hire, train and equip five deputies 
to investigate meth issues.

The department also spends some of its $7.7 million budget on anti-drug 
efforts.

Last year, Thurston County sheriff's deputies dealt with 59 meth labs and 
other county and state agencies handled another 80. In 1999, sheriff's 
deputies dismantled 43 labs and other agencies handled another 43 labs.

At the state level, the State Patrol responded to 357 meth labs across 
Washington in 2000, up from 262 in 1999.

In his 2001-03 budget, Gov. Gary Locke proposed spending $12.2 million for 
a "comprehensive strategy against meth." The funds would pay to:

* Expand the State Patrol's 25-member lab team.

* Train and equip 60 law enforcement officers at agencies across the state 
to respond to labs.

* Allow faster cleanup of labs and dump sites.

* Treat meth users.

* Train and coordinate Child Protective Services' response to meth labs 
where children are present.

* Train the public to recognize drug labs and the dangers of meth.

* Provide technical assistance to public health districts and regulate the 
chemicals used in meth manufacturing.

"It's in a crystal ball as to when this is going to turn," said State 
Patrol Lt. Jim Chromey. "But it's not going to go away unless we come 
together as a community to turn the tide."
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MAP posted-by: Keith Brilhart