STATE COULD LEARN MUCH ON METH FROM PIMA COUNTY

Every task force report ever written calls for a bunch of
facilitating, implementing and coordinating, and the governor's task
force report on methamphetamine does not disappoint.

But amid the recommendations for more prevention, treatment,
investigation and coordination (yawn), a major omission looms.

A most creative approach to prosecuting meth miscreants was hatched
by the Pima County Attorney's Office.

But while Pima County Attorney Barbara LaWall headed the governor's
task force on meth, that panel's report fails to note the innovation.

Local prosecutors use Arizona's strong racketeering statutes to go
after entire "cells" of meth criminals and get them sentenced to
considerable prison time.

Rather than a slap on the wrist for every bad check, mail theft and
stolen car related to meth addicts, our overwhelmed law officers and
prosecutors years ago saw the need for a new approach.

Pima County, a federally recognized High-Intensity Drug Trafficking
Area, has been slammed hard by meth.

So our Counter Narcotics Alliance, consisting of city, county, state
and federal investigators, targets and charges meth operators en
masse, and LaWall's office prosecutes them the same way.

It's a savvy strategy. Without it, local prosecutors would be
drowning in caseloads of minor crimes leading to minor penalties,
with multiple repeats guaranteed.

Instead, our county is putting criminals behind bars for years.

As meth continues to flood our state and nation with relentless crime
rates spurred by meth addicts, dealers and smugglers, we need to use
every smart strategy available.

In this instance, other Arizona areas could learn a thing or two from
our local experts. And the governor's task force should have noted that.