POLICE COMMANDER: MASSIVE METH SIMULCAST A SUCCESS

Chris Crockett is a commander with the Phoenix Police Department.

Crockett is in charge of the Public Affairs Bureau, which is
responsible for external and internal communication for the
department and the Silent Witness program and houses the department's
Web Detail and Video Services Unit.

Crockett was a guest on last week's aztalk Live Talk Wednesday,
discussing his role in bringing the Crystal Darkness meth-information
program to Arizona.

The documentary was broadcast Tuesday on Arizona TV, Internet and
radio stations, warning communities of the meth epidemic, especially
among youths..

"Based on information from campaign officials, we believe at least
1.5 million people in Arizona heard, read or attended gatherings
about Crystal Darkness," Crockett said.

The program was intended to get Arizona talking about meth and ways
to combat its spreading addiction.

For the full interview by Viewpoints/ aztalk editor Joe Garcia, go to
aztalk.azcentral.com.

For more information on the Crystal Darkness program, go to
crystaldark ness.com.

1. You've seen the TV documentary Crystal Darkness, as has most of
the Valley, I assume, since it was broadcast on virtually every
Arizona TV station, Internet and radio station. What's your
impression of the program?

First of its kind in Arizona using the power of a "media roadblock"
to educate the public and in particular teens and young adults about
the highly addictive and terrible effects of meth.

2. The program seemed to emphasize prevention - especially parents
talking to their children -- more than treatment. Do you think that
has anything to do with the difficulty of treatment and its uneven
success levels?

Meth is a drug that proves hard to kick the addiction once that
occurs. Success rates vary; however, treatment is effective if the
addicted person surrounds him/herself with the right people and is
committed to getting clean.

3. Is there enough treatment out there for those who need it? I don't
imagine a whole lot of meth addicts are covered by insurance. And are
we too reliant on prison punishment for meth addicts instead of treatment?

There is currently not enough treatment out there for addicts;
however, through the efforts of many organizations, effective
treatment is available. We definitely need more treatment options for
people who are not covered by insurance.

Prison punishment for criminal behavior (fraud, identity theft,
burglary, forgery, etc.) is appropriate as well as restitution when
meth-addicted criminals victimize the community.

These people should also be given treatment and education so they may
successfully integrate themselves back into the community, once their
debt to society is paid.

4. Some of the statistics were surprising, especially use among young
teens. But the level of crime as it relates to meth is surprising as
well. What percentage of crime can be directly attributed to meth?

Most experts in law enforcement believe that upwards of 60 percent of
certain crimes (identity theft, fraud, forgery and burglary) are
directly related to meth addicts resorting to crime to feed their drug habits.

5. Perhaps more than any other drug, meth is an equal-opportunity
addiction, crossing all racial, economical, age, class and workplace
barriers. Where are we in terms of battling meth? Are we winning the
war, at the halfway point or just beginning to feel its full effect?

In terms of measuring where we are in combating meth, we are well on
the way to reducing the impact of meth in our community by prevention
programs like Crystal Darkness and other drug-prevention programs.

Our lawmakers, elected officials and law enforcement have enacted
laws that make it much more difficult for individuals to cook their
own meth. Law enforcement has also attacked the importers of the drug
into our country, but we have much more work to do. In other words, I
believe we are winning the war.

6. What do you tell children in school about meth, and are they
skeptical because you're an officer and an adult? Do they need to
hear from their peers, as well, about not trying meth? Or do they
need to hear it from adults, such as their parents, grandparents,
family members and adult friends?

I believe that you tell children the truth about the dangers of meth
because if we don't, other kids will tell them about meth.

I am sure that kids are skeptical, and that is one of the beautiful
things about the Arizona Crystal Darkness campaign, as recovering
meth addicts tell their own stories about how meth destroyed their lives.

Kids need to hear the anti-meth, anti-drug message from teachers,
parents, peers, elected officials, police officers, clergy and the
media to truly have an effective result in reducing the number of
teens who try drugs, in particular meth.

7. Are you hopeful we can win the battle?

I am very confident that we will win the battle on meth.