Pubdate: Tue, 10 Jun 2003
Source: New Zealand Herald (New Zealand)
Copyright: 2003 New Zealand Herald
Contact:  http://www.nzherald.co.nz/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/300
Author: NZPA
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/meth.htm (Methamphetamine)

ESR LOOKS FOR MORE HELP WITH 'SPEED' BACKLOG

Scientists may be brought in from overseas to help cope with a worrying 
backlog of forensic work relating to methamphetamine crime.

Growth in the production of the drug and police success in busting 
clandestine laboratories has put huge pressure on Environmental Science and 
Research (ESR), which analyses and prepares the evidence for court.

ESR has a backlog of about 75 methamphetamine cases.

Each case takes ESR about a month, from safety work at the lab site to 
final analysis. The backlog means police face long delays in getting their 
cases to court.

ESR will have just three scientists trained to do the analysis after an 
Australian on secondment leaves this month for personal reasons.

ESR is to meet police next week to negotiate "over the revenue we can 
anticipate in terms of this service we are providing to police".

A sum of $6.6 million over four years was allocated in the latest Budget 
for police to counter methamphetamines.

Given the right level of resourcing, ESR expected it would be able to make 
"significant progress" with the backlog.

"We might be able to bring experienced people in from overseas, or look at 
fast-tracking the training of scientists or look at the way we manage our 
response," ESR forensic programme manager Keith Bedford said.

"People are under considerable stress. We can only cope with a certain 
amount of work."

Last year 147 clandestine methamphetamine labs were busted in New Zealand, 
and so far this year police have uncovered 35.
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MAP posted-by: Terry Liittschwager