Pubdate: Fri, 19 Dec 2003
Source: Crossville Chronicle, The (TN)
Copyright: 2003 The Crossville Chronicle
Contact:  http://www.crossville-chronicle.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1972
Author: Michael R. Moser
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/meth.htm (Methamphetamine)

METH WAR GETS BOOST FROM $500,000 GRANT

The war in the Upper Cumberland region against methamphetamine usage got a
large boost recently with the announcement of a $500,000 Community Oriented
Policing (COPS) grant which will be used for training and setting up a
special prosecutorial team.

"In the seven-county district (13th Judicial District), the heart of the
meth problem is in Cumberland, Putnam and White," said Assistant District
Attorney General Gary McKenzie. In fact, the last figures McKenzie has seen
show that more meth labs have been seized in Cumberland than in the nearby
Cookeville area.

McKenzie's boss, District Attorney General Bill Gibson, has labeled the team
fighting meth, SMART - Stopping Methamphetamine Around Rural Tennessee - and
he credits Congressmen Lincoln Davis and Bart Gordon for making the grant
possible. The two lawmakers were honored with plaques expressing
appreciation from Gibson last Saturday at Tennessee Tech.

Methamphetamine manufacturing and usage is "one of the biggest problems I
have seen in my career as a police officer and a prosecutor," Gibson told
the Herald-Citizen in a recent interview. "The effects of this drug are
totally devastating and the state's resources to help us fight the battle
are scarce."

Davis sits on a congressional committee that decides where such grants are
sent and played a key role in securing the money, McKenzie said. "This much
needed money will go a long way in assisting our dedicated law enforcement
officers in eradicating the growing problem of meth use," Davis said.

The money will be used to help train local law enforcement officers on the
proper handling and clean-up of hazardous materials used in clandestine labs
that criminals use in the manufacturing process.

Dismantling a meth lab requires specialized training because of the volatile
and flammable chemicals that are used in the process. Police officers can be
exposed to ingredients that could cause illness and injury and in some
cases, death. Biggest danger comes from fumes and the possibility of the
materials mixing and exploding.

Funds will also be used for prevention, public awareness, education,
prosecution, treatment and relapse programs.

"This desperately needed resource came at a critical time when state budget
cuts and scarcity of resources were taking a serious toll on our efforts,"
noted Gibson.

Cookeville Police Chief Bob Terry, who chairs the 13th Judicial District's
Drug Task Force, told the Herald-Citizen, "It is an answer to law
enforcement prayers."

McKenzie has been tabbed to be the special prosecutor in meth cases around
the 13th Judicial District and plans call for him to have an office
alongside investigator's offices in the House of Hope being planned for the
old First Baptist Church building in Crossville.

The prosecutor said plans call for 40 officers to become lab-certified in
the handling of meth materials. Equipment such as laptop computers and
digital cameras will be purchased and a database will be created that will
help in enforcement.

The sharing of information between police in the county will be a tool for
investigators, McKenzie said.

A tip line will also be established.

"We really want to send a message," said McKenzie, who is excited about his
new task. "Meth use puts a strain on society in a variety of ways." He added
that using meth has a 97 percent addictive rate.

One of the biggest pluses of the grant is, "This will allow us to bring
departments together to settle a regional problem."
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MAP posted-by: Josh