FAYETTEVILLE PD, DRUG TASK FORCE STATS INDICATE METH STRONGHOLD

Statistics from the 4th Judicial District Drug Task Force indicate
the significant impact methamphetamine is having on Northwest
Arkansas. An undercover officer and supervisor from the Task Force
estimates before the fiscal year is through at the end of March, the
detectives will have opened between 430 and 440 drug cases.

In fiscal year 1999, 358 cases were opened, the supervisor said. Many
of the cases involved methamphetamine. According to the detective's
prediction, officers will arrest more and more people on charges of
possession of drug paraphernalia with intent to manufacture
methamphetamine. He said the Washington County Prosecutor's Office
developed the charge, which is a Class B felony and has a more
serious outcome than the charge of conspiracy to manufacture a
controlled substance. "The reason they wanted that offense as opposed
to the conspiracy charge is because anyone arrested has to serve 70
percent of their sentence," the detective said.

Statistics concerning meth labs discovered by the task force indicate
that prediction may be coming true.

In 1997, detectives from the 4th Judicial District Drug Task Force
discovered two labs, in 1998 that number rose to six, in 1999 it more
than quadrupled and 50 such incidents are expected by the end of
March. "We're on pace for about 50 by the time our year ends March
31," the task force supervisor said. "I wouldn't be surprised at all
if we reach that." A twist in the statistics also indicates the
stronghold of meth in Northwest Arkansas, detectives say. The number
of cases opened by the task force's detectives actually dropped from
405 in 1998 to 358 in 1999. The 4th Judicial District Task Force
supervisor said the drop in case load was caused by detectives
concentrating on methamphetamine-related cases. "For the average meth
lab it takes about 10-14 hours to dispose of properly," he said. "So
a lot of man hours go into meth lab cases, and because of that you
can't concentrate enforcement efforts on the other cases we have to
work."