Pubdate: Thu, 05 Jul 2001 Source: Daily Iowan, The (IA Edu) Copyright: 2001 The Daily Iowan Contact: http://www.dailyiowan.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/937 Author: Kellie Doyle POLICE MAY PUT STORES ON METH ALERT Police say it is legal for stores to contact them in a case of "suspicious" purchases. Iowa City and Coralville police say they may soon work more closely with area retail stores to help their fight against methamphetamine manufacturers. A statewide increase in meth production and use is the reason that police want to educate store employees on how to recognize customers who are making suspicious purchases, said Lt. Ron Wenman of the Coralville police. "Anything we can do to work together to fix these issues is great," he said, adding that Coralville police would be willing to train store employees on how to recognize questionable persons. "At some point, we might start approaching these businesses," he said. "The more people that have the training, the better." Iowa City police Sgt. Doug Hart also said it would be beneficial for police to work with the stores. Since March, four Iowa City residents have been arrested after employees of Cub Foods and the Coralville Wal-Mart reported that the individuals had allegedly purchased large quantities of products used in the manufacture of meth. The four are now facing meth-related charges, but they may never have been caught if not for the knowledge of some of the stores' employees. According to the Iowa Narcotics Division Web site, 658 methamphetamine labs were discovered last year in the state, up from 502 in 1999. The drug, also known as "speed" and "crystal," is a highly addictive central-nervous system stimulant that enhances a person's mood and body movement. Not only should store security officials, or loss-prevention teams, familiarize themselves with methamphetamine ingredients, but other retail workers, such as cashiers, should have some knowledge concerning the drug, Wenman said. Meth ingredients commonly bought in stores include aluminum foil, lithium batteries, and steel wool. Wenman advised people to be aware of individuals purchasing a considerable number of one item and/or a combination of products considered ingredients for meth to pinpoint possible manufacturers of the drug. This may be difficult, though, he said, because some may stop at several different stores to gather the materials. Iowa City residents Dale Fleming, 41, and Jeremy Perkins, 30, were arrested June 22 after they allegedly admitted to visiting three Iowa City stores to buy 18 boxes of cold medicine containing pseudoephedrine, a component of meth. Cub Foods, 855 Highway 1 W., was one of Fleming's and Perkin's stops, court reports show. Manager Mike Route said it is important for employees to receive training to help police capture possible meth producers. Between one and two security officers are on the clock throughout the day, Route said. Coralville's Wal-Mart Supercenter, 2801 Commerce Drive, had a similar situation in March, in which Iowa City residents Tammy Koehn and Michael Dooley were arrested. A Wal-Mart employee alerted police of their alleged purchase, according to court reports. "We're trying to be a good neighbor," said Chad Rainwater, the store manager at Wal-Mart. "We feel the need to help the police." Rainwater declined to comment on the number of security officers in the store, but he said the employees have received some training from the Coralville police Narcotics Division. Repeat-buying patterns of regular customers is a sign they are told to look for, Rainwater said. As for innocent customers being mistakenly accused, Wenman said, "I can't say that doesn't happen. But most people don't have a problem [being questioned] if they have nothing to hide." The practice of stores contacting police when they have suspicions is legal, Hart said. "They still have a right to call us about a suspicious act, as does anybody," he said, adding that the Iowa City police receive a few calls of that nature each year. "They're doing it more as a service to the community." - --- MAP posted-by: Larry Stevens