HCSO receives grant from attorney general to combat meth
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As the production of methamphetamine continues to favor the mobility of smaller-scale labs, rather than larger, home-based operations, the ability to track and police the use of this dangerous drug has become increasingly difficult. Ohio Attorney General Richard Cordray, Clermont County Sheriff A.J. Rodenberg and Highland County Sheriff Ronald Ward unveiled, this week, a new initiative that will help to keep meth off the streets.
In 2009, there were 300 reported meth lab seizures in Ohio, according to a press release from Cordray's office. To address this growing problem, Cordray has teamed up with law enforcement partners from across the state to introduce Face:Meth, a program that connects local law enforcement with retailers who sell meth-related items. The retailers are trained to recognize suspicious purchasing behavior and encouraged to report it to their partnering law enforcement agency.
Meth is unique from other illicit drugs because nearly everything used to make it can be found in a local supermarket or pharmacy. Items such as starting fluid, cold packs, matches, coffee filters and pop bottles can be combined with the primary ingredient of pseudoephedrine to make the drug. These ingredients make the manufacturing and use of meth extremely dangerous to the users as well as nearby children, neighbors and bystanders. The toxic waste created by meth is also very harmful to the environment, the health of the community and the safety of the members of law enforcement who clean up the lab sites.
"This program gives local law enforcement the extra eyes and ears they need to identify meth users, which can be an invaluable tool to agencies that are facing limited budgets and resources," said Attorney General Cordray. "Having local retailers know which household items used to make meth are in their stores and how to spot buying patterns of meth users and producers is a crucial step to combat meth in our communities."
In 2009 in Clermont County, 27 people were arrested for making meth and there were 10 reported meth lab seizures. More than 80 percent of those cases involved children or pets and were in some type of public area.
"Community partnerships, such as those with retailers and pharmacies, are invaluable in the fight against meth," said Clermont County Sheriff A.J. Rodenberg. "With their help, we hope to make more arrests and resolve more cases, making Clermont County a safer place."
The Highland County Sheriff's Office received 51 meth tips and discovered 21 meth labs in 2009.
Highland County Sheriff Ronald Ward stressed the risks of making the drug. "Meth is dangerous to our community because it exposes children, neighbors, law enforcement and others to toxic chemicals. Educating the community about the dangers of meth helps them understand what to look, listen and smell for, and in turn helps us do our jobs better."
At a news conference announcing the new program, Walgreens District Manager Colby Fries spoke about his role as one of the participating retailers in the region. "The Face:Meth program is a great supplement to our existing efforts to curtail meth production," said Fries. "We understand the problems that meth abuse causes to communities and in 2006, Walgreens was the first national retailer to develop an electronic database that tracks all pseudoephedrine sales and prevents individuals from going to multiple Walgreens stores to purchase these products in higher quantities than allowed by law. Across Ohio, Walgreens has been successful in limiting the abuse of pseudoephedrine products by placing them behind the pharmacy counter and requiring patients to show photo identification and logging their name into its own national database."
In addition to Clermont and Highland counties, the Face:Meth program is currently implemented in the city of Akron and Ashtabula County and will reach out to more than 200 retailers. The program is a part of the Ohio Methamphetamine Pilot Initiative (OMPI), which is funded by a grant from the U.S. Department of Justice.
To learn more about Face:Meth, please visit www.facemethohio.gov.
As the production of methamphetamine continues to favor the mobility of smaller-scale labs, rather than larger, home-based operations, the ability to track and police the use of this dangerous drug has become increasingly difficult. Ohio Attorney General Richard Cordray, Clermont County Sheriff A.J. Rodenberg and Highland County Sheriff Ronald Ward unveiled, this week, a new initiative that will help to keep meth off the streets.
In 2009, there were 300 reported meth lab seizures in Ohio, according to a press release from Cordray's office. To address this growing problem, Cordray has teamed up with law enforcement partners from across the state to introduce Face:Meth, a program that connects local law enforcement with retailers who sell meth-related items. The retailers are trained to recognize suspicious purchasing behavior and encouraged to report it to their partnering law enforcement agency.
Meth is unique from other illicit drugs because nearly everything used to make it can be found in a local supermarket or pharmacy. Items such as starting fluid, cold packs, matches, coffee filters and pop bottles can be combined with the primary ingredient of pseudoephedrine to make the drug. These ingredients make the manufacturing and use of meth extremely dangerous to the users as well as nearby children, neighbors and bystanders. The toxic waste created by meth is also very harmful to the environment, the health of the community and the safety of the members of law enforcement who clean up the lab sites.
"This program gives local law enforcement the extra eyes and ears they need to identify meth users, which can be an invaluable tool to agencies that are facing limited budgets and resources," said Attorney General Cordray. "Having local retailers know which household items used to make meth are in their stores and how to spot buying patterns of meth users and producers is a crucial step to combat meth in our communities."
In 2009 in Clermont County, 27 people were arrested for making meth and there were 10 reported meth lab seizures. More than 80 percent of those cases involved children or pets and were in some type of public area.
"Community partnerships, such as those with retailers and pharmacies, are invaluable in the fight against meth," said Clermont County Sheriff A.J. Rodenberg. "With their help, we hope to make more arrests and resolve more cases, making Clermont County a safer place."
The Highland County Sheriff's Office received 51 meth tips and discovered 21 meth labs in 2009.
Highland County Sheriff Ronald Ward stressed the risks of making the drug. "Meth is dangerous to our community because it exposes children, neighbors, law enforcement and others to toxic chemicals. Educating the community about the dangers of meth helps them understand what to look, listen and smell for, and in turn helps us do our jobs better."
At a news conference announcing the new program, Walgreens District Manager Colby Fries spoke about his role as one of the participating retailers in the region. "The Face:Meth program is a great supplement to our existing efforts to curtail meth production," said Fries. "We understand the problems that meth abuse causes to communities and in 2006, Walgreens was the first national retailer to develop an electronic database that tracks all pseudoephedrine sales and prevents individuals from going to multiple Walgreens stores to purchase these products in higher quantities than allowed by law. Across Ohio, Walgreens has been successful in limiting the abuse of pseudoephedrine products by placing them behind the pharmacy counter and requiring patients to show photo identification and logging their name into its own national database."
In addition to Clermont and Highland counties, the Face:Meth program is currently implemented in the city of Akron and Ashtabula County and will reach out to more than 200 retailers. The program is a part of the Ohio Methamphetamine Pilot Initiative (OMPI), which is funded by a grant from the U.S. Department of Justice.
To learn more about Face:Meth, please visit www.facemethohio.gov.
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