WEB HALL OF SHAME FOR DRUG CONVICTS

Authorities Posting Meth Makers' Names

To keep the public informed of methamphetamine makers in their midst,
Illinois State Police and the governor's office Sunday unveiled an
online database of convicted meth producers.

Like the state's online sex-offender registry, the new list -- dubbed
the Methamphetamine Manufacturing Registry -- displays the name, date
of birth, type of offense, conviction date and county where the
offense took place, though it doesn't include where the offender
lives or a physical description.

"This registry provides people statewide with a resource to identify
those who have been convicted of manufacturing this drug and help
them engage in the fight to stop production in their neighborhoods,"
said Gov. Rod Blagojevich in a statement.

Blagojevich signed a bill in June 2006 requiring the creation of the
site. Illinois is one of a handful of states that have such
databases, said Gerardo Cardenas, a Blagojevich spokesman.

The intent of the site is to protect communities from the dangers
that homegrown meth operations can bring, the statement said.

Apart from the drug's effects on those who take it, the laboratories
are a public safety concern because the chemicals necessary to make
the drug are highly combustible and can cause explosions.

Data for Illinois' registry comes from the state Department of
Corrections and the office of the circuit clerk, said Lt. Scott
Compton, a state police spokesman. The information is updated daily.

Across the country, municipal and state law enforcement agencies --
particularly those with large swaths of rural areas -- have tried to
crack down on meth labs, which require anhydrous ammonia, an
ingredient also used in fertilizer.

Illinois ranked only behind Missouri in 2006 for seizures of illegal
labs and meth-production equipment, according to statistics from the
U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration.

The state's database is different from those posted by some other
states. Some states, including Montana, Oregon and Idaho, list
properties that have been used for meth production. Compton said
there were no immediate plans to produce such a registry in Illinois.