FIGHTING METH CONTINUES TO COST SPOKANE MORE AND MORE MONEY

SPOKANE, WA, July 2 - We're only halfway through the year and police say
they've already spent more than they ever imagined battling meth. Now it
could mean sacrifices for you.

86 meth labs have been busted this year so far, which is more than all of
last year.

And as that number grows, the question of how to pay for the costs of
fighting meth becomes a bigger issue. Police have already spent $150,000
to fight the meth problem this year. "We can't stop doing it. It's such a
hazard to the public and such a priority that we can't stop doing it," says
Lt. Darrell Toombs. "But we're going to be seeking other sources of income
and resources for this."

The question is where to look. Police and fire take up more than half of
the city's budget. Parks, streets, libraries and courts spend another 30%
or so, meaning there's not much left to draw from. As a result, the city
is trying to persuade the federal and state governments to kick in to help
fight something that's become much bigger than what local governments can
handle.

"They recognize the problem. they recognize the consequences," says
Spokane City administrator Jack Lynch. "They know that from a social
perspective and a law enforcement perspective it's too big now to be
ignored. They need to partner with us."

The police department says it costs $1,500 for its officers just to suit up
to go into a lab, and with 86 of them raided this year already and at least
a hundred more expected by year's end, they hope the money doesn't run
out. The police department just received a $7,700 reimbursement for meth
cleanup, for the first time ever. The department says that's great, but
that it'll take much more than that to get a handle on the problem.