PIERCE COUNTY FOCUSES ON METH PROBLEMS AHEAD

SUMMIT: Members address enforcement efforts, availability of chemicals,
research on drug's effects

Pierce County has won some victories in its battle as the state's
methamphetamine capital - setting up a full-time sheriff's meth team,
passing ordinances aimed at stopping labs and busting major trafficking
organizations.

But that wasn't the focus Tuesday in a discussion among the county's law
enforcement officers, Pierce County Alliance members, Safe Streets
officials, health workers and federal agents.

Instead, the 20-member Pierce County contingent at the Washington State
Methamphetamine Summit in Bellevue focused on the problems that remain and
how to solve them.

Among the top problems and their solutions were:

* The availability of over-the-counter chemicals, some found in cold
medicines, that are used to make meth.

The team's possible solutions included strictly enforcing a new state
statute that prohibits single-sale transactions of more than three packages
of cold medicines. They also wanted more education of retailers and to set
penalties for distributors and wholesalers who sell mass quantities of the
chemicals on the side.

"Meth is not just a blue-collar crime," Pierce County Sheriff Paul Pastor
said. "Meth is a white-collar crime."

* The lack of links among enforcement, prevention and treatment efforts.

The possible solutions included finding someone to lead the fight against
the drug, supporting each other's efforts and finding links among the three
areas and working from there.

* The lack of knowledge about meth's long-term effects and how the epidemic
affects society and today's children.

To solve that, the team suggested involving academic researchers and
providing mandatory education to health care practitioners.

"We're dealing with just the immediacy," Tacoma police Capt. Bill Meeks
said. "We're not dealing with five years down the road."

More than 350 people from across the state and nation gathered for the
two-day summit. The first day focused on statewide meth problems.
Washington was second to California in the number of meth labs discovered
in 2000.

"We're very interested in what happens in Washington state around meth,"
said James Copple, vice president of the National Crime Prevention Council
and facilitator for much of the summit. "The real solutions are going to
come from the communities. We can't wait for Washington or Olympia."

While Pierce County officials worked, other counties struggled with solving
different problems in their jurisdictions, some of which are just starting
to see meth emerge.

King County officials focused on a denial of the problem in the county and
a lack of political will to work the problem. Thurston County officials
discussed a lack of communication and coordination among the agencies
dealing with meth.

In his closing remarks to the summit participants, Copple said he was
encouraged by the work.

"Our challenge for you is to start this journey," Copple said. "We will win
when we do this together."

SIDEBAR: what's next?

* At Tuesday's meeting, each county identified a leader who will be in
charge of gathering people to work on meth problems.

* In November, officials from the National Crime Prevention Council will
return to Washington state to get a progress report from the county leaders.

* Next spring, National Crime Prevention Council officials will return
again to check in with the county leaders.

* In addition, the National Crime Prevention Council will write a paper
based on the summit.