DAVIS VS. METH

Re Russell Clemings' article (July 11) "California main source of meth, DEA
chief says": While Mr. Clemings cited alarming statistics, the number of
meth superlabs in California and the magnitude of the problem, he failed to
mention that Gov. Gray Davis is aggressively attacking this epidemic and
has been since he took office. Gray Davis is the first governor in the
United States to declare an all-out war on meth. His administration has
provided more than $60 million to local law enforcement to tackle the
Central Valley meth crisis and this hard-hitting approach is paying off.

That funding created the California Multijurisdictional Methamphetamine
Enforcement Team (Cal-MMET), in which Fresno County plays a major role. And
thanks to Gov. Davis' leadership in fighting this plague, task force
members across California working with a variety of agencies have put 7,341
meth labs out of business. Many of these hazardous labs operate in homes,
in neighborhoods and near schools.

Gov. Davis also provided funding for a toll-free tip line (1-866-METH-LAB)
that, since February, has received more than 500 anonymous calls, opening
up more investigations.

While California may be home to the bulk of the meth trade, Gov. Davis
continues to reinforce his commitment to putting these labs out of business.

Allen Sawyer

Interim Executive Director, Governor's Office of Criminal Justice Planning

Sacramento