METH LAB BUSTS IN COUNTY DECREASE

At a time when illegal methamphetamine labs are exploding in Indiana,
Vanderburgh County authorities reported a 14 percent drop overall in
the number of labs dismantled in the year 2000.

Educating the public on the dangers of methamphetamine labs has been
a key, said authorities.

Statewide, police agencies discovered 427 methamphetamine labs in the
year 2000 - a 300 percent increase compared to the previous year,
according to Sgt. Todd Ringle of the Indiana State Police.

However, the Evansville Police Department experienced a 39 percent
drop in the number of labs dismantled in the city limits from 1999
and 2000.

Sgt. Mike Lauderdale of the Evansville Police Departmentís narcotics
unit said 30 meth labs were taken down in the city limits in 2000,
compared to 49 the year before.

Although the Vanderburgh County Sheriffís Department busted 25 labs
in 2000 - an increase of 10 compared to 1999 - the entire county,
when including data from the city of Evansville, dismantled nine less
methamphetamine labs compared to the previous year.

Lauderdale said local police "went out into the business community" -
mainly department store and pharmacy personnel - and held
informational programs to "educate them on what to look for."

"Consequently, many, many calls come in from the business community
on suspects," said Lauderdale. "When somebody comes in and tries to
buy a case of lithium batteries, we get the heads-up on it. It's not
a crime, but it's certainly worth us to look into."

Apparently, the word has spread among methamphetamine makers, who
evidently have taken their labs to less populated places to avoid
detection, said D. Anthony Carden, a detective sergeant with the
Vanderburgh County Sheriffís Department.

Manufacturers figure, "Why not go to a rural community where they
have one officer on duty all shifts," said Carden. "The higher count
on labs (dismantled) in those counties is related - they leave our
area and go someplace else" with less security and police resources,
he said.

Posey County Sheriff Melvin Buchanan agreed with that concept. Meth
makers "are moving out to the rural areas where they think they can
get away with it," said Buchanan. He said about 26 meth labs were
taken down in his jurisdiction in 2000, about double compared to 1999
figures.

Vanderburgh County's statistics are sharply different from the rest
of Southern Indiana.

According to the Indiana State Police, the Evansville and Jasper
Districts dismantled 152 labs in the 13 counties they cover.

There were 52 illegal labs dismantled by the state police in Knox
County; 19 in Pike County; 15 apiece in Daviess and Gibson counties;
11 apiece in Spencer and Dubois counties; nine in Martin County; six
each in Orange and Perry counties; four in Crawford County; three in
Posey County; and one in Warrick County.

The state police did not dismantle any labs in Vanderburgh County
because the city and county authorities dismantle illegal labs on
their own.

Posey and Warrick counties also had low figures recorded by the state
police because each of those counties pays for an outside service to
dismantle labs.

Data from the Warrick County Sheriffís Department regarding the
number of illegal labs shut down in 2000 was not available. The
county seat, Boonville, did not have any labs taken down in 2000,
according to Boonville Police Chief Joe Harmon.