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Thursday, February 11, 2010

Ind. Law - NE Indiana a haven for meth labs [Updated]

An eye-opening story today in the Fort Wayne Journal Gazette, reported by Angela Mapes Turner. A few quotes:

The number of methamphetamine labs seized in Indiana last year was the highest in the state’s history, jumping nearly 25 percent from the year before.

Five northeast Indiana counties ranked in the state’s top 10, bolstering the reputation the area has built over the past decade for being a hotbed of meth addiction. Area law enforcement agencies have theories, but few answers, behind the drug’s rise.

The Indiana State Police uncovered 1,343 meth labs in 2009, the agency said this week. * * *

[Sgt. Michael Toles, north-zone supervisor for the Indiana State Police Meth Suppression Section,] said many of the people who created meth in that area have been caught and are serving lengthy jail terms. But as they re-enter society, many go back to using and producing meth – a trend Toles also sees in northeast Indiana.

Even if a county manages to put its “meth cooks” in jail, it must still help addicts break the habit. Noble County, which has led the state in past years in meth lab seizures, has put more effort into its drug court, Prosecutor Steven Clouse said, with the hope it can make a positive difference.

[Updated 2/12/10] See also this story from the Evansville Courier & Press, headed "Ind. meth activities up sharply for 2009."

Posted by Marcia Oddi on February 11, 2010 08:51 AM
Posted to Indiana Law