Pubdate: Fri, 07 Jan 2005 Source: Huntsville Times (AL) Copyright: 2005 The Huntsville Times Contact: http://www.htimes.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/730 Author: David Brewer Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/meth.htm (Methamphetamine) METH USE OUTLOOK STILL GRIM FOR REGION Law Enforcement Officials See Problem Draining Staff Scottsboro - Two northeast Alabama counties ranked among the highest in the state for clandestine meth labs saw a small decline in meth lab raids and arrests over the past year. But law enforcement officials in Jackson, Marshall, Morgan, Limestone and DeKalb counties are not ready to say that the drug problem is improving much at all, and at least one sheriff expects the problem to continue growing. "I don't know what's going on, but I wouldn't hold my breath." said Darrell Collins, commander of the DeKalb County Drug Task Force in Fort Payne, discussing a dip in meth arrests and lab raids last year. Collins said he doesn't see the probblem getting much better soon. "It's by far the worst drug problem I've seen in my 32 years of law enforcement," he said Thursday. Chuck Phillips, chief investigator for the Jackson County Sheriff's Department in Scottsboro, said the meth problem strains his department's six investigators. "It's draining us," he said Thursday. "We receive tips every day on suspected labs and (meth) cooks. There's not enough of us to handle all of them. "We're doing the best we can. But even if we worked 24 hours a day, seven days a week, it would still be impossible." The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration says meth has become Alabama's biggest drug threat, surpassing cocaine abuse. The DEA says that DeKalb, Jackson, Marshall and Madison were among seven counties with the worst meth lab problem in 2003. The other counties were Baldwin, Etowah and Walker. The DEA did not have specific numbers for meth-related arrests for each county. In Huntsville and Madison County, officials raided at least 60 meth labs in 2004. Of those, at least 35 were seized by by the Huntsville-Madison County Strategic Counterdrug Team, known as the STAC Team. The unit found 15 in 2003 and two in 2002. At least 25 meth labs were found and seized in 2004 by the the Madison County Sheriff's Vice and Narcotics Unit, compared to 15 in 2003. Figures for arrests for those agencies were not available Thursday. In Marshall County, a Boaz man was killed and another man was injured in February when a home lab blew up in a Boaz neighborhood. Almost two-thirds of the drug cases worked by the Marshall County Drug Enforcement Unit in 2004 involved crystal methamphetamine, DEU Director Rob Savage said Tuesday. The agency reported 744 total drug arrests during the year, with 505 involving meth. Of those 505, 173 involved meth labs, he said. In 2003, the agency had about 625 total drug arrests, about 450 involving meth. The figures have gone up year to year since the drug was introduced in the area several years ago. The biggest concern now, besides the danger involved in home labs, is a higher grade of meth making its way into the area. Ice, as it is called, is made in sophisticated labs and brought into the area, Savage said. "It isn't just a problem in Marshall County," said Savage. "It is the fastest growing narcotic in the United States." District Attorney Steve Marshall plans to go to Washington, D.C., to lobby for money for the county, he said. Phillips said his department seized 67 labs and arrested 107 people on meth charges in Jackson County last year. In 2003, his department confiscated 84 labs and made 137 arrests. Scottsboro police Maj. Ralph Dawe said Thursday said the department seized 21 labs in 2004 and 23 in 2003. But he said more meth-related arrests were made last year, 27 compared to 25 the previous year. Morgan County Sheriff Greg Bartlett said the county saw seven meth lab busts in 2002 and 11 in 2003. The number soared to 64 last year, and Bartlett said there could be more than 100 this year. At the same time, "we only have four officers assigned to narcotics." He plans to ask the County Commission for three or four more drug agents. The sheriff said it costs between $2,000 and $8,000 to clean up a meth lab. Limestone County Sheriff Mike Blakely said, "Crystal meth today is as bad as crack cocaine was in the mid-80s." He only has one full-time narcotics agent, he said, and needs more. Collins said his DeKalb County task force of six investigators also made more arrests in 2004 although they, too, found fewer labs. His department seized 68 labs and arrested 103 people in 2004 compared to 73 labs and 96 arrests in 2003. "It's the worst drug we've seen in our area (Jackson County)," Phillips said. "It's affected more people than any other drug. It has no social barriers. It tends to affect a lot of people who would normally not be getting into drugs." Meth can be made with relatively inexpensive ingredients found in local stores, he said. The process for making it, which can be found on the Internet, takes about four to five hours, Phillips said, adding that a high from a gram of meth can last up to five days for a first-time user. "A person can get hooked the first time," he said. "Although they feel like they may have more energy and can work better, the drug begins to tear down their body from the first time they use it." Phillips and Jackson County District Attorney Charlie Rhodes said making ephedrine a controlled substance would prevent many people from trying to produce meth. Although ephedrine or meth could still be shipped in from Mexico or Canada, Rhodes said the risk of getting caught becomes much greater. "There needs to be enough prison time so people realize that it's not worth the risk," he said. Times staff writers Wendy Reeves, Christopher Bell and Laranda Nichols contributed to this report. - --- MAP posted-by: Derek