METH TRACKING UNITS HAVE MADE 653 ARRESTS

SPRINGFIELD -- Illinois' special units for tracking down
methamphetamine have made 653 arrests and seized more than 213,000
grams of drugs in their first year.

State officials played up these statistics as proof that Illinois is
getting a handle on the methamphetamine problem.

"The dangers associated with meth go well beyond the user. The
process of making the drug puts families, neighbors and even entire
communities at risk," said Gov. Rod Blagojevich in a prepared
statement. "The results from the first year are very encouraging,
which shows that the response teams are making a difference."

In May 2005, the state was divided up into multicounty districts,
each with a Meth Response Team. These units are focused on proving
relief to local law enforcement blitzed by increased
methamphetamine-related crime.

"Local law enforcement was just getting crushed in overtime hours on
meth investigations," said state Rep. Chapin Rose, R-Mahomet, who led
a legislative task force that recommended the creation of these
specialized units. "It helps provide relief to local counties that
are paying for this through local property taxes."

In 2000, local drug task forces made 605 meth arrests. By 2004, the
number of arrests jumped to 1,264. The units free up police to focus
on other illegal substances, such as marijuana and cocaine, according
to the Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority.

The response teams also help clean up hazardous waste left over from
a meth lab.

Over the last year, the units have seized 35,114 grams of finished
methamphetamine. The remaining 177,810 grams was in a liquid state,
which is later dried into a powder.