AGENCIES' COOPERATION CRUCIAL IN METH FIGHT

For the better part of three years, the Daviess County Sheriff's Department
has been out in the lead in the fight against methamphetamine.

The department works multiple cases on a daily basis, and Sheriff Keith
Cain, Lt. Jeff Jones, Detective Sgt. Jim Acquisto and others give their
time to speaking about the drug's devastation to just about any group who
will listen.

Invariably, one of the first things they'll say is that their work is far
from a solo act. While law enforcement is often known for its turf battles,
the cooperation among agencies in the fight against meth is both
unparalleled and inspiring.

Law enforcement agencies drew a couple of quick conclusions after it became
clear meth was descending upon the region: This was an epidemic like none
seen with any other drug; and city or county lines weren't going to serve
as some sort of imaginary boundary for the problem.

Cain continually notes that meth is a concern for all of western Kentucky,
and it will take all of this region's law enforcement resources -- and the
help of its residents -- to combat the problem.

Throughout the region, the Pennyrile Narcotics Task Force has fostered a
cooperation among law enforcement agencies in 10 western Kentucky counties.

In Daviess County, partnerships have been formed between the sheriff's
department, Owensboro Police Department and the Kentucky State Police. The
local judicial and prevention communities are also working with law
enforcement in a number of ways.

Retailers have joined in to monitor the sale of the products used to make
meth. And the U.S. attorney's office has lent a hand through increased
federal prosecutions.

The sheriff's department has even solicited the help of the Kentucky
National Guard, which has provided a number of guardsmen to aid in
surveillance. The troops not only help keep on eye on potential meth-making
operations, they watch over large tanks of anhydrous ammonia -- the primary
ingredient that makes meth both quick and cheap to produce.

Involving the military in police matters can be a risky proposition, but
the partnership has proven to be nothing but a positive. The two biggest
deterrents to the fight against meth have been lack of money and manpower.

Staking out a meth lab can take days, even weeks, because of the
clandestine nature of the operations. The sheriff's department, or any
other local agency, simply doesn't have enough manpower to dedicate to
proper surveillance.

"We certainly would not be able to man the surveillances that we have
without their (the National Guard's) assistance," Cain said.

The meth epidemic in western Kentucky has grown far too large for any one
agency to handle. Admittedly, the cooperation of the last few years has
hardly slowed the spread of the drug. But it's scary to think where we'd be
if there weren't such a commitment among local law enforcement.