MONTANA NEEDS FEDERAL HELP TO FIGHT DRUGS

Montana's methamphetamine epidemic poses different problems here than it
would in urban states. Montana has plenty of back country for drug
traffickers to cook meth in remote, clandestine labs. And more cooks are in
those illicit kitchens - in Billings, in the Flathead, on Indian
reservations. The long distances are a challenge for the relatively few
state and local law enforcement officers who work full- time on drug cases.
There are only six federal Drug Enforcement Administration agents to cover
the entire state.

Yes, waging war on drugs poses special challenges for a geographically
vast, sparsely populated state. That's why the methamphetamine epidemic
demands special attention.

About half of the methamphetamine in Billings and in Montana is
manufactured illegally here and the other half is transported in from labs
out of state, according to the DEA and Billings police.

The flow of drugs begins outside the state of Montana. It makes sense for
Montana to be part of a regional drug enforcement effort. For several
years, the Montana Depart-ment of Justice, the U.S. Attor- ney's office in
Montana, the DEA, local sheriffs and police chiefs have been calling for
our state to be added to a high intensity drug trafficking area (HIDTA), a
designation that would bring Montana additional resources for fighting drugs.

Two years ago, Sen. Max Baucus brought then-drug czar Barry McCaffrey to
Billings and everyone agreed that Montana ought to be part of the Rocky
Mountain HIDTA.

So, for the past two years, Baucus has been pushing Montana's entry into
this rather exclusive anti-drug entity, which already includes Wyoming and
Utah.

In March, Montana's membership in the HIDTA will be decided by law
enforcement officials whose areas are members of the HIDTA. Baucus and
Montana Attorney General Mike McGrath must make the state's case. The
exploding numbers of meth labs are powerful evidence of our need.

"We have to show them how we can augment their efforts," McGrath said. He
said several of Montana's most populous counties, including Yellowstone,
meet the rigid criteria for inclusion. The designation would provide funds
to pay for officer overtime, crime lab expenses, intelligence gathering and
drug buys.

"It's really important that we get that HIDTA designation," said Billings
Police Chief Ron Tussing, who added that police need increased technology
for surveillance to deal with the increasing number of meth labs.

Yellowstone County Sheriff Chuck Maxwell concurred with Tussing about the
importance of the HIDTA and cited the joint efforts of city, county, state
and federal officers as an advantage in our community.

On Monday at Billings Logan International Airport, Baucus promised that
Montana will get the long-sought HIDTA designation. We intend to see that
the senator keeps his promise this year.

(SIDEBAR)

Meth Labs In Montana

The number of methamphetamine labs seized by law enforcement and the
taxpayer expense of cleaning up the hazardous labs in each year:

1999 - 16 labs, $98,000

2000 - 33 labs, $235,000

2001 - 86 labs, $631,000

2002 - 43 labs, $290,000 (this is for the first quarter of the fiscal year.)

Sources: DEA, Montana Department of Justice