Pubdate: Fri, 04 Feb 2005 Source: Charleston Daily Mail (WV) Copyright: 2005 Charleston Daily Mail Contact: http://www.dailymail.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/76 TWO CHANGES FOR THE BETTER It's Nice to See Such Effective Action Against Methamphetamine Labs West Virginians have grown accustomed to the fiery accidents that result when yahoos try to make methamphetamine. No matter how many people have blown up their residences or themselves, there seem to be more on the way. Cooking meth poses a substantial public health hazard. But Kanawha County voters elected a new sheriff, Mike Rutherford, and a new prosecuting attorney, Bill Charnock, and they have already formed an effective team. It's evident from the activity on just one kind of case -- meth labs. In mid-January, Charnock announced that a grand jury had charged 26 people with operating a meth lab, and 26 others with drug crimes. He then announced a more aggressive effort to stamp out the use of the drug. "If you cook methamphetamine in Kanawha County, (the Metro Drug Unit) is going to find you, and my office is going to prosecute you," he said. To that end, the prosecutor's office has distributed posters asking retailers to tell police when someone purchases large quantities of cold pills, matches or other meth-making ingredients. And the beat goes on. On Feb. 2, the headline read: "Cross Lanes man faces meth charge." On Feb. 3, another headline: "Four face charges in meth-lab arrests." In those cases, a St. Albans man was charged with attempting to operate a lab after his garage caught on fire. In Charleston, police arrested three people for operating a lab on Whittington Road. State Police investigated another lab in the Sissonville area while trying to arrest a fugitive. The county is seeing a great deal of cooperating between law enforcement and the prosecutor's office in an effort to stamp out this problem. That cooperation will make a difference. Rutherford said a couple of week ago: "We now have a prosecutor who is doing his job." Said Charleston Mayor Danny Jones: "Quite frankly, it's nice to see the sun shining again on Kanawha County in the sheriff's office and the prosecutor's office." Well put. - --- MAP posted-by: SHeath(DPFFLorida)