DISMANTLED METH LABS DOUBLED IN '06

A total of 38 meth labs were taken down last year in the Lafayette
district, which includes White County.

Although the Indiana State Police report that statewide they
dismantled fewer methamphetamine labs in 2006 than they did the
previous year, White County remains an exception going from five labs
in 2005, to 11 in 2006.

State police say that doesn't necessarily mean that manufacturing of
the drug has grown - just that more labs are being reported.

"Out of the 11 meth labs that were found in White County, probably
six or seven were active," said Trooper Jerry Holeman,
Methamphetamine Suppression Officer for the Lafayette district. "The
others were either what we call dump sites, which is basically trash
from a lab.

"We found bags with precursors in them - left behind accidentally or
they may have gotten spooked and ran, just left them. Or, it may have
been dropped off for somebody to pickup up and somebody else found it
and contacted the police. We still consider those 'labs.'" Holeman
said one such 'trash' lab was found in a black plastic garbage bag by
a junior high student while he was riding along the side of the road
in his four-wheeler last year.

The youth said he believed the contents of the bag were suspicious,
based on what he had learned at a meth presentation at the school
earlier in the year.

"Sure enough, it was a trash lab and it still had HCl (hydrochloric)
generators," said Holeman. "Even though they're old, with a little
agitation they can become active - start shaking that up and they
could produce hydrochloric gas again."

State police noted a state law limiting the sale of cold medicines
used to make methamphetamine helped cut the number of meth labs found
in Indiana last year to less than 1,000 for the first time since 2002
when 998 labs were raided.

Last year was the first full year for the law, which places
limitations on how much ephedrine and pseudoephedrine - two of the
main ingredients in meth production - a person can purchase from a
retailer or a pharmacy.

"Every other state that has that law, they've dropped drastically,"
said Holeman.

"It hasn't stopped them, but it definitely slowed them down a little
bit," he added. "It's making them work a little harder to get the
meth manufactured."

Last year was the first full year of enforcement, and there was heavy
campaigning to make the public aware of the meth problem.

As a result, the Indiana State Police dismantled 760 meth labs in
2006, compared to 989 in 2005. Other police agencies throughout
Indiana dismantled an additional 233 meth labs, increasing the total
number of meth labs dismantled last year in Indiana to 993, compared
to 1,303 in 2005.

"Also, last year was the first year that they had a trooper to just
investigate (meth labs)," said Holeman. "So, that's going to decrease
it a little bit, as well. That's one of the reasons I think White
County went up, too. In White County, I've been working with the Drug
Task Force on it.

"The good thing is that we're getting into the schools," said Holeman
on the ISP's efforts at increasing awareness of the drug and its effects.

"It's out there, and the sad thing is now we're getting information
that it's even getting into the younger generation - even the high
school (students) using or manufacturing, as well" said Holeman.

Police said that as long as people call in tips, they'll keep
following them up. And reporting meth manufacturing is what will stop
the problem, according to state police officers.

"It's their community, they live in it - they need to help take care
of it, so we definitely encourage people to call," said Holeman. "If
they wish to remain anonymous, that's fine."

The number for the Indiana State Police Methamphetamine Hotline is
1-800-453-4756.