COPS BEGIN TO LAY OUT METH BATTLE PLAN

Members of Cowlitz County's law enforcement say they need more than $1.2
million dollars annually to combat the problems that methamphetamine causes.

Officials told an audience of about 125 people Monday afternoon during the
first of three meth forums that not only is more law enforcement needed to
put a dent in battling meth, but additional treatment programs are needed
as well.

The forums are a result of the Cowlitz County commissioners' directive to
form a program that will battle the meth problem, using money from a
voter-approved sales tax increase. Commissioners want a .02 increase --- 2
cents on a $10 purchase --- to be used solely for law and justice programs.
The forums are the first steps in proposing programs how the money might be
used. The sales tax, if approved, would raise $2.3 million annually.

Cowlitz County Superior Court Judge Jill Johanson told the audience a
Family Dependency Treatment Court must be established.

She said meth users aren't able to "parent safely."

"As a result, children end up in foster care and the number of children in
foster care is greater in our county than anywhere else in the state," she
said.

In a treatment-court setting, Johanson said the court, a child welfare
agency and a treatment agency reviews cases on a weekly basis, moving
parents more quickly through the system.

"This system is not working well," she said. "The goal of the treatment
court is to engage parents in programs and services sooner and for longer
periods. It increases the accountability of parents and reduces the amount
of time children spend in foster care."

"We need to heal families and put families back together," she said.

Johanson said King, Pierce and Thurston counties have treatment courts.

She estimates the cost at about $110,000 a year, not including treatment costs.

"I don't think law enforcement alone works," she said. "I think law
enforcement and treatment work in partnership."

Johanson also requested an assistant drug court coordinator and two
part-time law enforcement officers to work as a team assigned to drug court.

She estimated the cost at about $15,000.

Longview Police Chief Alex Perez, requested money for two different
agencies. First representing the Cowlitz-Wahkiakum Narcotics Task Force, he
said staff has actually declined since 1995. He is requesting four
detectives and a deputy prosecuting attorney at a cost of $600,000 the
first year and $500,000 the second.

As he talked on behalf of Longview Police Department, Perez said "just
adding a police officer is not a solution."

"What we recognize is the answer is well beyond law enforcement," he said.

He said LPD supports providing a full staff to the task force and drug
court and would divert a portion of the sales tax money the city would
receive to both agencies.

He also said he wants to create probation enforcement that would monitor
people on probation and would make them comply more rigorously.

Perez also said he supports drug prevention education and wants children to
be surveyed.

"I want to ask them, 'What's it going to take to keep you from getting
involved in drugs?' "

Cowlitz County Sheriff's Chief Criminal Deputy Charlie Rosenzweig requested
one sergeant, three deputies and a crime analyst for the sheriff's
department. The estimated cost for the five employees is $540,000 the first
year and $405,000 the second year.

"Law enforcement is not the sole answer to the drug problem," he said. "We
help make an impact to clear up the problem."

"We want to do more and we can do more with these proposals," Rosenzweig
said. "Law enforcement is the first line of defense."

After the officials talked about their requests, about a dozen audience
members commented.

Three former drug users agreed more law enforcement is needed.

"If you don't wake up, meth will take over this town," one man said. "We've
got a major problem. We need to get to it."

Ramona Leber, co-chairman of the Cowlitz Meth Action Team, said she didn't
know what to expect during the first forum, but was pleased with the
turnout and looks forward to the next two forums.

"The sheer number of people is an indicator of the interest of the
community," she said after the forum. "It's not just the agencies who were
here, but it's the people in the community who are concerned."