Pubdate: Sun, 15 Jan 2006 Source: Daily Sentinel, The (Grand Junction, CO) Copyright: 2006 Cox Newspapers, Inc. Contact: http://www.gjsentinel.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2084 Author: Alfonso Salazar Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/meth.htm (Methamphetamine) CITIZENS AND LAW ENFORCEMENT MUST WORK TOGETHER ON METH Editor: As a citizen of Mesa County, I thank the members of the Methamphetamine Task Force for the work that they have done and the strategies they developed to combat the impact of meth on our community. However, the report does not specify how citizens can get involved in addressing meth labs in their neighborhoods. As a citizen, I experienced the operation of a meth lab in my neighborhood. I live close to a high school and witnessed students at lunch and after school stop for a few minutes in their cars, then leave. I monitored the activities and kept the officer of the drug task force assigned to the problem informed by reporting license plate numbers. The conclusion in my case was that the meth lab operated for six months in my neighborhood and then moved on. I was never updated by any law enforcement officer until I pursued information on my own. I am also critical of the Methamphetamine Task Force report since it did not survey high-school students for meth use and we know that is also a problem. The methamphetamine concerns in our community will require citizen involvement. I intend to be one of them. ALFONSO SALAZAR Grand Junction - --- MAP posted-by: Beth Wehrman