METH WATCH

The Feds Offer An Incentive To Collaborate On Fighting Drug Use

The effects of methamphetamine production and use are well-known to
local law enforcement agencies, the toll measured in ruined lives,
properties contaminated by illicit labs, roadsides turned into dumps
for poisonous chemicals. Akron and Summit County lead the state in
the number of meth-lab related prosecutions, 16 from October of 2006
through September.

The vigilance is a good start. Even better is that local efforts will
be bolstered through a new, federally funded initiative that stresses
a cooperative, regional approach. Another key aspect of the Ohio
Methamphetamine Pilot Initiative is an emphasis on stopping drug use
before it gets started.

Attorney General Marc Dann announced the project last week. A U.S.
Department of Justice grant of $2 million will be shared by Akron and
the counties of Ashtabula, Clermont and Highland. The Bureau of
Criminal Identification & Investigation will also get a share.
Akron's part, almost $450,000, will cover education, public
awareness, intelligence, enforcement (through the county prosecutor's
office) and the purchase of protective gear and safety equipment. Of
special note is a partnership with the Summit County Children
Services Board to educate children about the impact of drug use.

The initiative recognizes that effectiveness in fighting crime is not
measured solely in the number of arrests and that local agencies can
no longer work in isolation from one another. Cost-effectiveness and
the spread of crime and criminals beyond political boundaries demand
a different approach.