Pubdate: Sat, 26 Apr 2014
Source: Herald and News (Klamath Falls, OR)
Copyright: 2014 Herald and News
Contact:  http://www.heraldandnews.com
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2600
Author: Tristan Hiegler

METH USERS MARKED BY EXTREME PSYCHOSIS

Certain parts of town a haven for drug abuse

Methamphetamine users can snort, smoke, swallow or shoot the illicit
substance straight into their veins. They can get the drug as crystal,
liquid or powder. But no matter the form, the drug has repercussions
on the body that include anxiety, confusion, insomnia and psychotic
behavior.

The federal Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) notes prolonged meth use can
lead to a variety of hallucinations and delusions, as well as
homicidal and suicidal thoughts.

"Over time we see it, it's called meth-induced psychosis. Basically
the brain becomes ultra paranoid," said Detective Jack Daniel of the
Klamath Falls Police Department.

The more common form seen in Klamath Falls is crystal meth, Daniel
noted. He said this version, usually seen as small glass-like shards
or blue-white rocks, is smoked or injected.

"It is the drug of choice in this county," he said of crystal meth.
"In the Southeast (U.S.) =C2=85 you see a higher level of powdered
methamphetamine."

Problem areas

While on a patrol through Klamath Falls, Daniel said the rough
correlation he and other law enforcement officers see is areas with
low-cost housing will often see higher rates of drug and narcotics
crimes. He noted low-income housing residents are not all bad apples,
but the trend is for drug addicts to move into certain areas and take
advantage of the people there.

"A lot of these guys will couch surf, they'll stay with people,
bouncing couch to couch."

Daniel added that some especially aggressive narcotics users do not
give their hosts a choice. Klamath Falls has seen incidents where one
suspect was kicking in doors, staying against residents' wills and
helping himself to the fridge.

Daniel said residents in areas like the rougher parts of Downtown
Klamath Falls and Oregon Avenue are sometimes afraid to report the
people victimizing them for fear of reprisals.

Oregon Avenue in particular has become a problem area for drug and
property crimes, Daniel said. Property crimes in Klamath Falls are
usually committed by drug addicts looking to steal property they can
sell or trade for narcotics.

"In recent years, the number of rental properties has increased,"
Daniel said of the area. "With that, there has been a seeming increase
in property and narcotic related crimes."

One trend the KFPD is seeing is an influx of Northern Californian
residents moving into town to escape their native state's three-strike
policy. In California, the third criminal conviction can carry heavy
penalties, which is something Daniel said narcotics users are trying
to avoid.

"If they commit that third strike in Oregon, it doesn't apply," he
said.

Dealer exploitation

Drug users often trade stolen goods for their next fix, according to
Daniel. He said dealers will take state benefit cards or even compile
shopping lists of goods for their customers to procure.

Oregon Trail Cards often are exchanged for drugs. A benefits program
run by the state Department of Human Services, the cards are given to
citizens who qualify for food or cash benefits.

"Most search warrants we have served yield numerous Oregon Trail Cards
that do not belong to the suspect," Daniel said.

Unoccupied homes in neighborhoods like Mills Addition are ripe targets
as temporary homes or metal sources. Daniel said users will try to
obtain and sell metal coils and copper wiring, stripping homes and
appliances of anything they can get.

"I've worked cases where the entire inside of (the victim's) house
have been stripped," Daniel said.

He noted the area's metal companies have been cooperative. Everyone
bringing in metal is photographed with their so-called property, which
can help investigators identity metal theft suspects later on, even
after the metal objects in question have been processed.

All of Klamath Fall's major retail outlets, such as Fred Meyer and
Walmart, have been victimized by drug users looking for items to sell
or fulfilling specific shopping requests from their dealers.

"All the major retail stores in this town =C2=85 people will go in and
steal electronics and sell electronics at a reduced rate," Daniel
said. "There's a huge problem with shoplifting."

He said he has arrested suspects with shopping lists from their
narcotics dealers requesting not just electronic items, but day to day
purchases like groceries and tooth brushes.

User behavior

Certain standards are present even among meth users, according to
Daniel. He said those who inject the drug, known as "slammers," have
the most social stigma attached to them in the narcotics community.

"Usually the longer-term users are the injectors," he said. "The
effects of methamphetamine from injections are supposed to be much
more rapid and much more prolonged."

Slammers are more prone to fits of meth psychosis, he noted, due to
their chosen method and long-term use.

Unusual behaviors that manifest in methamphetamine users include
maniac projects and a love of slot machines.

Daniel said many stolen bikes in Klamath Falls are traced to addicts
who start the disassembly process but never finish their work.
Warrants have been served on homes with numerous torn apart bicycles,
including one with over 30 bikes in "various states of disrepair."

Users also can be found in local casinos and game rooms. Daniel said
slot machines are attractive because they offer constant stimulation
to people who are revved up on meth.

"People who are on meth are constantly moving. They never finish a
project."

Editor's note: This is the second entry in H&N's series on
methamphetamine use and drug trends in the Klamath Falls area. While the 

first provided an overview of the issues, this article examines more
closely the impact narcotic users and dealers can have on the community. 

The third article, which will run in Sunday's paper, will look at new
drug trends locally and statewide.
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MAP posted-by: Matt