ANTI-METH TECHNIQUES DRAW AUSTRALIAN HERE

Detective Studies Methods Developed By Local Police

Detective Paul Steel teaches police in Australia how to handle the most
volatile chemicals used to make illegal drugs. But this week he traded his
gas mask and chemical suit for a camera and notebook to watch Americans
battle methamphetamine.

"I came here to look at how police in other parts of the world are
addressing the problem," he said. Steel said he would use the information
he gathers to help tackle a growing number of meth labs in his home state
of Western Australia.

"In the last 15 years, the number of clandestine drug laboratories has
increased each year," said Steel, a state police detective who, as part of
a national tour, is visiting St. Louis to work with the St. Louis County
Methamphetamine Precursor Diversion Task Force.

He is traveling as a fellow with the Churchill Memorial Trust, which
sponsors Australians who study in foreign countries.

He picked Missouri because he said the state was famous within law
enforcement for its epidemic number of clandestine labs in rural counties.
Police in the St. Louis area busted about 360 labs last year.

Steel's team of drug detectives come across about 20 labs each year in
Western Australia, a state four times the size of Texas. On Thursday, Steel
watched as county police arrested suspects who were gathering ingredients
for a methamphetamine cook.

He shadowed detectives on Monday as they searched a car transporting an
unknown chemical inside.

"Its been a learning experience for both of us," Steel said.

He said the laboratories in Australia tended to be larger and operated by a
more sophisticated criminal, but the dangers were the same.

A hazardous material worker and chemist on Steel's team were seriously
injured when an anhydrous ammonia tank erupted in 1998. The hazmat worker
was put into a coma for six weeks while the lining of his lungs regrew.

Since then, the police in Australia have been scrutinizing their safety
procedures and seeking ways to protect themselves. One tool St. Louis
County police shared with Steel was their chemical diversion technique,
which helps police find laboratories by tracking the ingredients. Police
watch suspects gather chemicals needed to create methamphetamine then bust
the lab before more drugs are manufactured.

"These guys have a great program," Steel said. "It's a proactive way to
target people shopping for ingredients."

Police here also have enlisted the help of other emergency workers and
people who have been taught to recognize the signs of a meth lab then
report it to the authorities. "People here are much more aware of the
problem," Steel said.

He will travel for six more weeks to work with police agencies in Des
Monies, Iowa, Phoenix, San Diego and Los Angeles. He spent two weeks in
April at the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agencys Clandestine Laboratory safety
training program in Quantico, Va.

St. Louis County police said they enjoyed the chance to pepper Steel with
questions about his team and techniques. St. Louis County police Detective
John Wall said he intended to propose a training session this summer to use
Steel's suggestions.

"I'm impressed with the amount of research (the Australian police) have
done into the chemicals," Walls said. "Talking with him has certainly given
me new ideas."