Pubdate: Sat, 27 Jan 2007 Source: Morning Sun, The (KS) Copyright: 2007 The Morning Sun of Pittsburg, Kansas Contact: http://www.morningsun.net/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1255 Author: Jessica Tims Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/meth.htm (Methamphetamine) SENTENCING HELPS CREATE A SAFER COMMUNITY On Friday, the Crawford County Attorney's Office and District Court sent a message to methamphetamine manufacturers: You break the law, you go to jail. William P. Murr was sentenced to eight years in prison for conspiracy to manufacture methamphetamine, manufacture of methamphetamine, possession of methamphetamine and possession of felony drug paraphernalia. The office asked for 12 years, but because of Murr's age and "need to support his family," the court sentenced him to eight. We applaud the work of the Crawford County Attorney's office in prosecuting this case. As County Attorney John Gutierrez told the court, "manufacturing methamphetamine is a threat to society." By putting Murr in jail, the county has not only taken one manufacturer off the street, they have made the area safer around the building where he was making the drug. According to the federal Drug Endangered Children Program, the average lab cooker will cook meth 48 to 72 times a year risking fire and explosion each time. The typical lab cooker, who cooks meth about once a week, will likely experience a lab fire at some point within a 36-month period. Even scarier is that there is only a one in five chance that their neighbors will not know that the fire happened and at least 20 percent of the lab fires go unreported to local emergency fire services. These are startling statistics that prove just how dangerous methamphetamine is to those innocent bystanders who may not even know meth is being made so close to their homes. We congratulate the county attorney's office on this small victory and thank them from making Crawford County a little safer. - --- MAP posted-by: Beth Wehrman