LAWRENCE COUNTY GETS $70,000 TO FIGHT METH

MOULTON -- As a former prosecutor, U.S. Rep. Bud Cramer, D-Huntsville, has
seen more than his share of drug issues, but the present methamphetamine
epidemic is a surprise.

"I don't believe I've ever seen anything as hopeless as meth," he said. "I
think it's going to affect all of Alabama. But if we don't give you the
tools to fight it, it's going to get out of hand."

The $70,000 check Cramer presented to the Lawrence County Sheriff's
Department on Tuesday was one of those tools. The U.S. Department of
Justice made the money available through its Community Oriented Police program.

Cramer called methamphetamine addiction a revolving door because there is
no treatment program that has proven successful for addicts, and they
continue to steal to support their habit.

Lawrence County Sheriff Bryan Hill said he would use the money to send his
officers to a school that teaches them how to safely clean meth labs. Hill
said money would be used for protective equipment to wear inside the labs
and for a vehicle and trailer that officers would use to carry testing and
clean-up equipment.

Hill said he's been fighting drugs in Lawrence County since his election,
but the recent methamphetamine epidemic has, "changed the game."

"Meth is harder to fight; it's harder to deal with," Hill said. "We hope to
make a dent with this money."