PARTNERS TACKLE PREVENTION

Lab: People Work Together

Oklahoma got the attention of federal officials when methamphetamine lab
seizures in Oklahoma jumped from 34 to 1,000 in five years. The state
became the third-largest methamphetamine lab seizure site in the country.
More methamphetamine labs -- 200 -- were seized in Oklahoma City than
anywhere else in the state last year.

Those statistics are why Oklahoma County has been selected as one of four
sites nationwide chosen to hold a summit July 25 to discuss ways to prevent
and reduce methamphetamine use.

District Attorney Wes Lane is the host.

The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, National Crime Prevention Council
and Community Oriented Policing Services have created the partnership with
Lane to bring together all of the individuals, groups and associations that
need to be involved in this fight.

"There's a double-edge sword here," Lane said Tuesday as he announced the
partnership.

"On one hand, it is a honor and I'm very gratified to host this.

"The double-edge sword here, the reason why we get to do this, is because
we have a serious problem in this state that requires a serious and
comprehensive response."

Jack Calhoun, crime prevention council president, said Oklahoma has a real
issue with the effects of methamphetamines.

"This cancer gets a lot of victims -- addicts, kids, the environment. When
this stuff is dumped, the environment gets poisoned," Calhoun said. "That
multipronged victim suggests we can't do it alone.

"We have to partners in this -- mental health, public health environment
folks, children, youth and family people, the schools, teen-agers themselves.

"Crime drops most where people roll up their sleeves and come together."
Some 40 Oklahoma County and state leaders attended an initial planning
meeting Tuesday with Lane and federal officials.

The district attorney promised to do whatever is needed to attack the
methamphetamine problem in Oklahoma County.

The DEA and crime prevention council will assist the county in completion
of the comprehensive plan. Lane said the two agencies could link Oklahoma
County to available funding for implementation of the plan.

The district attorney said methamphetamine labs go hand in hand with
criminal activity.

"With all of the labs comes the wide variety of criminality that is always
associated with the drug business whether it's minor theft to shoplifting
and all the way up to murder," Lane said.

"That doesn't even tell the entire story.

"We are finding children in these very highly toxic, explosive environments
with chemicals around.

"These people cooking might be the family next door because you might not
necessarily know what to be looking for.

"We don't even know the full impact of this."