Pubdate: Thu, 14 Apr 2005
Source: Beacon Journal, The (OH)
Copyright: 2005 The Beacon Journal Publishing Co.
Contact:  http://www.ohio.com/mld/beaconjournal/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/6
Author: Elbert Starks III
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/meth.htm (Methamphetamine)

SUMMIT IS TAKING WAR AGAINST METH TO STREETS

RICHFIELD - Summit County has a new weapon in its escalating battle against 
methamphetamine labs and their operators.

Ohio Attorney General Jim Petro and Summit County Sheriff Drew Alexander 
unveiled what they termed "clandestine lab response vehicles" -- four Ford 
F-150 pickup trucks equipped with items like digital cameras, breathing 
apparatus, air-monitoring devices and protective vests -- in a Wednesday 
afternoon press conference at the Northeast Forensic Laboratory and 
Training Center.

The vehicles will support drug unit agents as they bust meth makers and 
dismantle their labs -- an always dangerous operation, said Capt. Hylton 
Baker of the Summit County Drug Unit.

"There's toxic fumes, dangerous chemicals, the threat of fire," Baker said. 
"One of the big things we've found when we enter these places is that there 
are a lot of weapons, too.

"The labs, the toxins, the operators themselves -- it's dangerous, and we 
want our people to be as prepared as they can, to have as much protection 
as possible," Baker said.

The Bureau of Criminal Identification and Investigation, through a federal 
grant provided by the Department of Justice, has four of the response 
vehicles at three locations around the state. One of the vehicles is 
stationed in Summit County, one in Bowling Green, and two are in London. 
Each of the vehicles is valued at $40,000. The truck has already been used 
locally. Baker said it was deployed to a Waterloo Road home on April 6, 
where three residents were rendered unconscious by fumes from an operating 
meth lab.

More than 30 labs have been raided in Summit County this year and more than 
100 were taken down in 2004. That effort has been noticed by the state, 
said Scott Duff, head of the BCI's drug investigation unit. "They're 
actively looking for them (meth labs) here, and if you do that, you're 
going to find them," Duff said. "We're here to support that effort and give 
these officers the tools they need to perform their duties. That's the 
goal, to keep everybody safe." Petro obtained the $794,000 grant and has 
also used the funds to provide certification training and protective 
equipment to law enforcement agencies throughout Ohio.

"I'm thrilled that the attorney general has made this possible," Alexander 
said. "I've always advocated better equipment and better training for our 
people, and this is a tremendous way to put this in the hands of people who 
need them.

"These are dangerous drugs, and we need our people to be safe when they're 
dealing with them."
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom