VALLEY GROUP TACKLES METH USE

Seeks Effective Sharing Of Data

An emerging coalition of community groups is developing more
resources and working to share information to raise awareness about
the dangers of methamphetamine.

More than 25 people from local drug rehab centers, school districts,
police departments and tribal groups gathered Thursday for the
Northeast Valley Coalition Against Methamphetamine's third meeting this year.

The new coalition, operating mostly from a $20,000 grant from Gov.
Janet Napolitano's office, announced that its short-term goals are to
create more-efficient drug-data sharing efforts. advertisement

The objective is to consolidate northeast Valley information on
everything from prevention efforts to rehab options for addicts to
statistics on dangerous drug arrests in each community.

"There was a comment made that we still need to get a handle on how
the communities are working together, and are there ways to improve
that," said Brent Stockwell, an aide to the Scottsdale City Council.
"We need to understand what our law enforcement agencies are doing so
they can better work together."

Stockwell added that the Northeast Valley Coalition, the second of
its kind in Maricopa County, will continue to meet monthly to better
shape its organization. Additional grant money could become available
later this year.

More than 260 dangerous drug arrests were reported by Scottsdale
police in 2005, though the numbers to not specify individual drugs.
More than 20 dangerous drug arrests have been made so far this year,
police said.