COMBATING THE METH PROBLEM

Gov. Gary Locke needs to appoint a point person to orchestrate
statewide planning and services to battle the state's growing
methamphetamine problem, according to participants of a recent
statewide meth summit who met yesterday to discuss what to do next.

That suggestion topped an ambitious list of 60 recommendations
compiled during the August summit that organizers said should provide
a solid framework for the war on meth. The drug is becoming
increasingly pervasive because of its affordability and availability.

"The really good news is that different groups have started coming
together to do comprehensive strategic planning, to work together,
share resources," said Jim Copple, of the National Crime Prevention
Council in Washington, D.C., which facilitated the summit and
yesterday's follow-up session. "Different agencies can no longer work
in silos."

The summit involved 25 of the state's 39 counties, with
representatives from local, county, state and federal law agencies
talking to social-service workers, treatment professionals,
educators, community organizers and health-care specialists.

Many at the conference said they were frustrated because they seemed
to be battling the problem independently of one another, although the
problem seeped into their collective areas of responsibility. They
also were worried because the response to the meth problem was more
reactive than proactive.

Their recommendations were divided into eight topics: policy,
treatment, public awareness, law enforcement, clandestine laboratory
cleanup, prosecution, child-protection services and youth.

Among the highlights: establish a legislative meth caucus by the next
session; compile data statewide to assess the exact nature of the
problem; conduct research on effective treatment strategies; educate
media decision-makers on meth issues; develop protocols for dealing
with the children found in meth labs; better coordinate law
enforcement's goals and objectives; and increase prosecution of meth
users and producers.

Of course, that all requires money.

King County Sheriff Dave Reichert said he and a representative from
the newly formed Washington State Meth Initiative will travel to
Washington, D.C., next week to meet with the Washington state's
delegation and present the list of recommendations and lobby for
funds to fight the problem. Another group with a similar objective
will go again in November, Reichert said.

A coordinating council will then begin the task of looking at what's
feasible and realistic. The list of recommendations will be organized
accordingly.

"It's unrealistic to assume all 60 will be achieved," Copple said.
"But this at least gives everybody a road map."

Copple said he would expect in the next few years to establish clear
lines of coordination; create an effective public-awareness campaign;
coordinate law-enforcement agencies who bust the meth labs and the
environmental specialists who clean them up; and clarify the role of
child-protective services.

Six months into this year there were 1,003 meth-lab busts in
Washington state, a dramatic increase from the 60 reported in all of
1995.