TRAINING FOCUSES ON RECOGNIZING METH LABS

It Also Stresses Protection Against Toxic Gas, Waste

Charlotte-Mecklenburg police are bracing for an expected swell of
methamphetamine cases.

This year, the department is putting its 1,600 patrol officers and
their supervisors through mandatory training on recognizing meth labs.

The training, run by two trained detectives in the Vice and Narcotics
Division of the Drug Enforcement Administration, focuses on
recognizing lab components and chemicals used to make meth, plus how
officers can protect themselves from the toxic fumes and waste the
labs produce, said Capt. Tim Jayne, the division commander.

"In our everyday work, we're going in and out of hotel rooms,
trailers, outbuildings and wooded areas," Jayne said. "We want to make
sure our officers know what they're looking at ... when it could be a
meth lab."

Meth hasn't been much of a problem in Mecklenburg County, with only
four lab busts since 2000, state records show. N.C. mountain counties
have had the most busts.

But Charlotte-Mecklenburg police know the drug eventually moves into
cities, and they've been meeting with retailers and pharmacists to
alert them about people trying to buy, for example, multiple boxes of
cold medicine. The medicine contains pseudoephedrine, the main
ingredient in meth.

"I'm going to be optimistic and say that with the proper education
strategy, we're hopefully going to minimize the effect of meth labs on
this community," Jayne said. "That's what we're shooting for."