PEOPLE URGED TO TRUST NOSE, REPORT POSSIBLE METH LABS

OKLAHOMA CITY -- Cars come and go at all hours of the day, and an odor like
paint thinner sometimes blankets the neighborhood.

Odds are a meth lab is nearby.

The Council of Neighborhoods hosted a meeting Thursday night to discuss how
to detect and report such labs.

President Sue DuCharme said the problem is many people don't know what to
look for, and often are unsure just how to report a suspected lab.

"When you smell something unusual, your first thought isn't that it's a
meth lab," she said

Many people fear they may be wrong and do not want to upset the neighbors,
but she said callers may request investigators not come to their house.

"At some point in time, neighbors need to trust their instincts," she said.

Reporting the smell or the unusual activities allows the police to investigate.

"The police aren't just going to go barging in. They will observe the
property and the smell first," DuCharme said.

According the council's Web site, Oklahoma is the No. 1 manufacturer of
methamphetamine, and cleaning up each lab can cost up to $150,000.

For each pound of drug produced, five to six pounds of toxic waste are left
behind, the Web site reports.

Because the chemicals are explosive, hazardous material crews, the fire
department, ambulances and even the Red Cross are called when a lab is
discovered. The residue can seep into everything in the house, so all items
within must be destroyed.

DuCharme said the situation is especially sad if children are involved.

"The kids lose their clothes, their toys, everything. They walk away with
nothing -- without a mom, without a dad."

The council works to improve the community by organizing neighborhood
associations and neighborhood watch programs, DuCharme said. Using experts
from the district attorney's office and area enforcement agencies, the
council helps educate neighborhood associations on how to spot suspicious
activities.

The council can arrange guest speakers at no charge. For more information,
call 672- 7223.