RPD HOSTS METH CLASS

RUSSELLVILLE - Franklin County Sheriff Larry Plott addressed a large crowd
in the A.W. Todd Center on Monday afternoon and asked a simple question.

"Does anyone here not believe now that methamphetamine is a major problem
threatening Alabama?" Not a single hand went up.

Based on what the crowd had seen all day, it was the only answer to deduce.

The large number of people was a group attending a training session
organized by the Russellville Police Department.

The purpose of the training was to educate the attendees about the dangers
of methamphetamine, and more importantly how to spot signs of people making
or using the drug.

The people invited to the seminar included people from all over the state of
Alabama-businessmen, teachers, principals, law enforcement workers, and
Department of Human Resources workers.

"It (methamphetamine) is our main problem right now in this area,"
Russellville Police Chief Donnie McGuire said.

The morning session included a presentation by District Attorney John Pilati
about the new laws effecting the manufacturing of the drug, also known as
"meth."

Another seminar covered the history of methamphetamine, and still another
discussed the safety measures that should be taken by officers when they
encounter a meth lab.

Greg Pinkard, an investigator with the Franklin County Sheriff's Department,
was certified last April in Quantico, Va., to work meth labs and help in
their clean-up.

"Based on manufacturing, we've arrested more than 70 people in the past year
who have been in possession of ingredients used to make the drug," Pinkard
said. "It's the No. 1 problem Franklin County has right now. It's also
involved in a lot of violent crimes, shootings and things like that."

"The purpose (of the training) is to help the officers identify
methamphetamine labs and the components to manufacture methamphetamine," he
said. "We want to provide education on identifying the drug and prosecuting
the users and manufacturers.

"We had principals, teachers, DHR workers, and even some business people we
invited to help us identify people making and using the drug," Pinkard said.

There is also an element of danger involved when officers or citizens find a
meth lab, and Pinkard said the education helps ensure safety when dealing
with labs and meth ingredients.

"We need this type of thing to help protect us against potentially harmful
chemicals such as red phosphorous, anhydrous ammonia, crystal iodine and
other materials we might happen up on during domestic violence and other
type calls," Pinkard said. "It helps protect us and the people we are
protecting, like the children in the residences, so nobody gets hurt."

Pinkard said the procedure to make meth, a relatively complicated chemical
reaction, was passed from mouth to mouth, but could also be found with the
aid of computers.

"The procedure can be gotten off the Internet, but mostly, it's just friends
telling friends how to make it."