METH SUMMIT PLANNED

Law Enforcement And Elected Officials Will Meet In Fresno Jan 9.

On the heels of a White House report applauding a federally funded
program's efforts in fighting methamphetamine trafficking in the Central
Valley, a summit focusing on how to continue the battle will take place
next month in Fresno.

More than 80 federal, state and local law enforcement and elected officials
are expected to attend the summit, scheduled for Jan. 9 at the Downtown Club.

"It will be focused on very specific constructive solutions," said Adam
Kovacevich, spokesman for Rep. Cal Dooley, D-Hanford. Dooley is
co-sponsoring the summit with Rep. Gary Condit, D-Ceres, and Sen. Dianne
Feinstein, D-Calif. "It is not intended to be a retelling of the problem."

Invitations also have been mailed to social-services representatives,
farmland owners and people concerned about the environmental impact caused
by meth labs in the Valley. The general public also is invited.

"We want to hear what you need from us to help combat the meth problem
during the next 12 to 18 months," Kovacevich said.

Information gathered at the summit will be included in congressional
hearings on the matter later next year.

Dooley, who helped secure $1.5million for the Central Valley High Intensity
Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Program for the current fiscal year, is
hoping to get approval for $2.5 million for the 2001 budget. Some of the
money would help police agencies involved in the program cover some expenses.

A report released last week during a HIDTA conference in Washington, D.C.,
gave the Central Valley's HIDTA high marks.

According to the report from the White House Office of National Drug
Policy, the Central Valley program has "dramatically impacted" the region's
methamphetamine problem.

In the year 2000, the program dismantled 18 drug trafficking organizations
and created 159 cases by August.

Area task forces also arrested 221 suspects by August and broke up 56
clandestine laboratories -- 27 of which were "super labs" capable of
manufacturing 20 pounds or more of meth in a single cooking cycle.

The program had projected a one-year goal of seizing 450 pounds of meth.
More than 290 pounds of the finished product and 922 liters of
methamphetamine solution -- capable of producing 244 more pounds -- were
seized by August.