Pubdate: Tue, 22 Feb 2005 Source: Times Daily (Florence, AL) Copyright: 2005 Times Daily Contact: http://www.timesdaily.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1641 Author: Russ Corey Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/meth.htm (Methamphetamine) COLBERT, LAUDERDALE SHERIFFS GET $50,000 TO COMBAT METH MUSCLE SHOALS -- Sheriffs in Colbert and Lauderdale counties received financial assistance Monday in their fight against methamphetamine. Colbert County Sheriff Ronnie May and Lauderdale County Sheriff Ronnie Willis each left U.S. Rep. Bud Cramer's office at Northwest-Shoals Community College with $50,000 checks. There is no matching money involved in the award. The sheriffs said they plan to use the money for items such as night vision goggles, protective suits, surveillance equipment and training for their officers. May said the meth problem in Colbert County is not as bad as it is in some Alabama counties. He said the county's drug task force has been fairly successful in following leads and making cases on meth producers. "Meth and crack cocaine are the two primary narcotics we keep hearing about in the Shoals area," May said. May said he would use the money to purchase items that are needed in the course of a narcotics investigation, such as surveillance equipment, digital cameras, digital recording devices, protective masks and clothing. May said he wants to replace older equipment and purchase additional items so they would be available to every officer. Cramer said Jackson County was one of the first Alabama counties to have an influx of crystal meth. He said meth producers like isolated, rural settings to set up their clandestine laboratories. Cramer said the money given to the two departments Monday was made available through the Community Oriented Policing Services program. He hopes that additional money will eventually be available through a new piece of legislation dubbed the Combat Meth Act, which would provide law enforcement and prosecutors with additional resources. "Methamphetamine has become one of the biggest drug threats in the state of Alabama," Cramer said in a news release. "The gaining popularity of methamphetamine abuse in small towns and communities is directly responsible for the increase in thefts, violent assaults, burglaries, child abuse and neglect." Willis said he would use his grant money to purchase surveillance equipment, including night vision goggles and video equipment that would operate in the dark. He said the department does not have that type of equipment at its disposal. Willis said meth activity has been increasing in Lauderdale County. "Everybody's going to it because it's a cheaper drug," Willis said. "Maybe we can get a hold on it before it gets too big." Cramer said fighting methamphetamine and dealing with the effects of its abuse, especially the effect on the children of meth addicts, will be costly. "We've never faced a drug issue this scary," Cramer said. Colbert County District Attorney Bryce Graham Jr. said his office will vigorously prosecute cases involving methamphetamine possession and production. "There will not be much sympathy coming from the DA's office in these cases," Graham said. - --- MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom