'TINNY HOUSES' CAN'T BE CLOSED, SAY POLICE

A small Northland town has 12 "tinny houses" which cannot be closed because
families are living in them, police say.

Dargaville police Senior Sergeant Jack Dudley has given a frank report to
Kaipara District Council detailing the types of drugs available on
Dargaville streets.

There were a dozen "tinny houses" selling drugs in Dargaville, 58km
southwest of Whangarei, which has about 5000 people living in 1200 homes.

Seven of the 12 sold methamphetamine -- also known as speed -- and cannabis
while the rest sold cannabis only.

However, Mr Dudley told the council the houses could not be closed as
families were living in them.

Mr Dudley also told the council there were people with "fried brains" in
Dargaville who thought they were under constant satellite surveillance.

Children were making sandwiches on benches covered with volatile chemicals
used to manufacture drugs.

Rugby players were taking speed before games to make them "10 feet tall and
bulletproof".

"We raid them (the tinny houses) all the time, but if we shut them down they
are back doing it again next week," Mr Dudley said.

Mr Dudley's report was made to the council at a meeting on Wednesday.

Asked by councillors why police were not stopping the drug sales
permanently, Mr Dudley said the Dargaville houses differed to Auckland
"tinny houses" which were generally occupied by drug dealers.

"Up here there are families in the houses -- parents and kids. We can't
close them down," he said.

Councillor Neil Tiller said having families in the houses was no excuse to
allowing continued drug dealing.

Mr Dudley said if police suspected speed was being manufactured in a home,
they would call Child, Youth and Family to take care of any children at the
premises during the police investigation.

Methamphetamine was "10 times worse" than cannabis, he said.

It was "the ultimate party drug" and the drug of choice for young people.

"They can have sex and dance all night. Tell me which of our kids wouldn't
want a bit of that," Mr Dudley said.

He knew five people aged under 22 in Dargaville addicted to methamphetamine.
Methamphetamine addiction started with recreational use for one or two
months, with people taking it to enhance weekend parties.

Mr Dudley said heavy methamphetamine users were "mighty paranoid".

He knew people with "fried brains" in Dargaville who thought they were under
constant satellite surveillance. One man shaved off his body hair and jumped
in a river when he took the drug and others constantly scratched at insects
they believed were under their skin.

There was a direct link between methamphetamine, violence and homicides, Mr
Dudley said. However, nothing was set up to deal with users of the drug.

"We (the police) haven't got the answers. The only tool we have got is to
lock up the manufacturers and dealers," Mr Dudley said.

He did not want to see young users heading for jail or the psychiatric ward.

"None of the kids I know are from disadvantaged backgrounds. They have all
chosen to do it and they all know better," he said.