HARVEY WANTS COUNCIL TO GET TOUGH ON DRUG LABS

Waitakere City Mayor Bob Harvey is calling on councils to get tough on
methamphetamine production.

Mr Harvey will ask other mayors to back his call during the Local
Government New Zealand Conference in July.

He says every council should use its powers and resources to help police
fight the war against methamphetamine by keeping an eye out for tell-tale
signs, such as unreasonably high power and water use and corroded pipes.

"What I want to see is the full use of the powers that local authorities
have," Mr Harvey says.

"The meth problem is huge and getting worse. We need to work with the
police to get these creeps behind bars."

His comments follow a Budget announcement promising $6.6 million for two
specialised police teams dealing specifically with clandestine laboratories.

The Auckland team starts work in January.

Mr Harvey welcomes the police initiative and is seeking further support
from all councils to tackle methamphetamine, also known as P and speed.

He says methamphetamine is leaving "a trail of crushed families and ruined
lives as people simply go on a speed spree".

"It has to be brought under control and the police need everyone's help,
including that of local government," Mr Harvey says.

Waitakere City has been dubbed the methamphetamine capital of New Zealand.

It is also home to the notorious Headhunters gang which has been linked to
methamphetamine production and distribution and has its headquarters at
View Rd, Henderson.

Six illegal drug laboratories have been found by police in the city so far
this year.

Twenty were raided in 2002.

Mr Harvey will also ask Police Minister George Hawkins to supply dedicated
resources to the detection, decommissioning and prosecution of
methamphetamine laboratories when he attends the conference.

He says the resources should be additional to existing police staffing
levels, duties and functions.