NEED TO CRANK IT UP

It is absolutely intolerable that some methamphetamine cases are being
dismissed because authorities can't keep up.

In most respects, Kansas seems to have done its best to crank up the
heat on methamphetamine production in Kansas.

Federal officials say the state ranks third in the nation in labs
seized. Indeed, the seizures have skyrocketed from a mere four in 1994
to 511 last year. Estimates are that more than 700 "labs" -- many of
which are portable, fly-by-night operations working out of motels and
mobile homes and the like -- will be busted this year.

In addition, the Legislature last year tripled the maximum penalty for
methamphetamine production to more than 11 years in prison.

Still, all of this does very little good if the state isn't keeping up
with processing meth lab cases in court, which it isn't.

Published reports indicate the Kansas Bureau of Investigation is so
overwhelmed with meth lab samples to test that some alleged offenders
are going unprosecuted. At the very least, delays cause some
defendants to remain free to continue their craft.

Butler County Sheriff Stan Cox told the Wichita Eagle his county has
had to dismiss 10 meth lab cases in the past 18 months because of
problems getting them processed for trial. And in Wichita, a man
suspected in six or more meth labs was said to be getting released and
re-offending, at least until a KBI agent familiar with the problem
intervened and accelerated matters.

That's squeaky wheel justice. And it doesn't work very
well.

How bad is the backlog? A KBI official put the total number of
criminal cases at 2,400 -- 220 of them alone being meth cases.

A Wichita police spokesman rightly notes that the KBI shouldn't be
criticized for the problem. No one wants the bad guys put away any
worse than the KBI; it's just that they haven't been appropriated the
necessary resources to keep up with the explosion of meth labs in the
state.

The opening of a satellite KBI lab in Kansas City, Kan., in August is
expected to help. The KBI also hopes to hire six more chemists -- but
over a several-year period.

Still, if the trend continues and meth cases keep clogging up the KBI
lab and the courts, something more needs to be done. Trying these
cases in court should receive at least the same amount of attention
and weight that we're giving to making arrests. Otherwise, what's the
point?