LAW ENFORCEMENT FINDING FEWER METH LABS IN COUNTY

As dramatically as they rose last year, methamphetamine lab seizures have
plummeted in Shawnee County. But law enforcement can't explain why so many
fewer labs are being found.

The Shawnee County Sheriff's Office and Topeka Police Departments report
they have seized 25 meth labs in the first six months of the 2002, compared
with 72 through August of last year.

Topeka police have seized 10 meth labs this year, down from 36 last year,
according to a Narcotics Unit report released Tuesday. Shawnee County
sheriff's officers have seized 15 meth labs, also down from 36 last year,
said Deputy Martha Lutz.

Topeka police spokesman Lt. John Sidwell said he didn't know why seizures
of labs were down.

"I can only say that it's definitely a decrease in the number of labs they
seized this year," he said.

But Sidwell said he thought increased law enforcement in Topeka had cut
down on meth production in the city.

"The people who are manufacturing meth are doing so in isolated areas of
the county," he said.

Kyle Smith, spokesman for the Kansas Bureau of Investigation, said it is
difficult to tell whether there actually are fewer meth labs or law
enforcement is just finding fewer labs. However, he said, the numbers were
promising.

"I think it's hopeful and a safe bet that labs are down in Shawnee County."

By August 2001, Shawnee County had already broken the record for meth lab
seizures it set in all of 2000, when Shawnee County led the state in meth
lab seizures.

Kansas law doesn't require counties to report meth lab seizures to the KBI.
Smith said most counties do report meth activity but do so at different
times during the year.

The KBI Web page shows five meth lab and eight equipment seizures reported
to them so far this year for Shawnee County for a total of 13 seizures.
Cowley County leads the state with 20 meth seizures reported to the KBI.
Statewide, the KBI has received reports of 210 meth seizures.

Smith said the KBI's crime labs still are processing a backlog of meth
cases. He estimated there are 10 to 12 times more items to examine in a
meth seizure than in a cocaine or marijuana seizure because so many more
ingredients are involved.

The KBI received $2 million in grant money from the Office of National Drug
Control Policy in the past year. About $1 million was used to help train
law enforcement to deal with meth and the other $1 million funded the
hiring of four chemists, six agents and two crime analysts to help reduce
the backlog of laboratory work.

Sidwell said the increased vigilance of Shawnee County citizens had helped
find meth labs. He said Topeka police regularly receive calls from citizens
reporting the smell of ether or anhydrous ammonia, two ingredients in meth
production.

The police narcotics unit reported that police received 322 drug
complaints. Sidwell said officers follow up on all drug tips from citizens.