CENTRAL IOWA AGENTS WORK ON MAKING METH BUSTS

The Central Iowa Drug Task Force, based in Story County, says meth is
the drug of choice for area drug users, and agents come into contact
with the highly addictive drug on a daily basis. The meth problem here
is no worse than it is anywhere else, but the community often doesn't
realize how bad it is.

So why doesn't the Ames Police Department or some narcotics officer
march into Michelle Hopkins' trailer park and arrest her?

Profiled in Saturday's Tribune, she's an admitted methamphetamine
addict. She admitted to using at least within the last two weeks. An
arrest might even help put her on the path to recovery and a better
life.

But an arrest is not cut and dried. Hopkins is street savvy. She never
carries enough meth to warrant a hefty criminal charge. And she he
doesn't cook the drug to get her fix, she buys it.

The Central Iowa Drug Task Force, with its six full-time officers, is
always working up the drug ladder to make that bigger bust.

They make controlled buys using confidential informants. They may
offer special treatment or reduced prosecution to someone caught with
a small amount of meth to try and nab the seller or the meth cooker.

"They work that as best they can until they get as high as they can,"
said Story County Sheriff's Office Capt. Gary Foster, who recently
took command of the task force. "Then they will make an arrest on it,
sometimes multiple arrests."

The agents assigned to combating the meth problem in Story County say
they are fighting a winless battle. There are never enough resources.

But the goal is always to get the most meth they can off the
street.

"We are trying to cut the sources off," said one agent who asked not
to be identified. "We want to move up in the quantity that we can bust
someone for, but that doesn't always happen."

In 2003, Story County prosecuted at least 163 people on meth-related
charges. The numbers keep increasing. More than 60 meth labs were
seized in the county last year, ranking Story County fourth in the
state behind Polk, Blackhawk and Webster.

The task force says meth enforcement is a daily occurrence. They stake
out local discount stores where virtually every ingredient can be
purchased over the counter. They routinely are called to meth lab dump
sites.

The meth problem in Story County is no worse than it is anywhere else
in Iowa, they say. But it is not getting better. They've encountered
meth users from the age of 12 to the age of 64.

Now the task force says they need more help from the public to combat
the problem. People may not realize that meth is reaching epidemic
proportions here.

"It's a significant problem," one agent said. "We are just scratching
the surface."

Enforcement Takes Many Forms

Most of the meth sold in central Iowa is imported via the Interstate
from places such as California, Texas and Mexico, typically brought
here in a car or semi. Some drugs are shipped here.

The meth labs you hear about on the news are prevalent but produce
only a small quantity of the drug, usually less than two ounces. Local
meth cooks typically are feeding their own addiction and selling the
rest to buy more ingredients to cook again, agents say.

Dump sites are common, especially in rural parts of the county. Each
time one is found, the task force responds. The cost to clean up a
dump site is between $5,000 and $10,000.

Real meth enforcement typically starts at discount stores such as
Target, Wal-Mart or grocery stories where meth precursors such as
pseudoephedrine are most common.

On April 26, agents were called by one store reporting someone just
purchased ephedrine and lithium. The store employees took down the
license plate number of the person and contacted authorities.

The task force responded and staked out parking lots of other discount
stores. Usually meth users will buy several ingredients from several
different stores within a short period of time, they say.

When the suspect, Carlyle Eugene Peterson, 35, of Stanhope returned to
his car, he was arrested. Agents say they found meth and various
ingredients to manufacture the drug in his car. His case is pending.

Other enforcement efforts come from public tips. Usually the tips are
from neighbors who see a lot of traffic around a house where people
are coming and going at all hours of the night and don't stay for long.

Covered windows, excessive trash and chemical smells are signs of drug
activity in neighborhoods. The task force wants to know about those
signs.

"They have a variety of ways to investigate all of those, but every
tip is followed up," Foster said.

It Is Everywhere

In mid-April, a Story County deputy stopped a vehicle for speeding on
585th Avenue and Iowa Highway 210.

The driver, Dominique Leonard of Des Moines, allowed the deputy to
search his car. A quantity of meth was found inside. Also inside were
five children under the age of 12, riding as passengers.

Leonard was arrested and charged with possession of meth and with
child endangerment. His case also is pending.

Drug agents say they never know where they will find the next quantity
of meth. It is everywhere, they say.

"It is something we see on a daily basis," said Foster. "The drug is
not limited to any socioeconomic group. And it is so highly addictive
that people will do anything to get it."

The task force, Foster said, is both proactive and reactive. They
react to tips from informants and the public. They are proactive from
the standpoint that they speak to groups about the problem here.

Meth is highly addictive. It is the drug of choice. And the community
hasn't yet begun to feel its effects.

"It is not feasible to have enough resources to fight this," Foster
said. "They already have more to do then they can."

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CENTRAL IOWA DRUG TASK FORCE

The Central Iowa Drug Task Force is composed of six full-time
officers. The agencies involved are the Story and Boone county
sheriff's offices and the Ames, Boone, Huxley, Madrid, Nevada Ogden
and Iowa State University police departments.