NCJ Number
207842
Journal
Law Enforcement Technology Volume: 31 Issue: 5 Dated: May 2004 Pages: 36,38,42
Date Published
May 2004
Length
6 pages
Annotation
This article describes the efforts of the Evansville, Indiana Police Department (EPD) in its fight against methamphetamine.
Abstract
Methamphetamine abuse has always been a problem in the region around Indiana, Illinois, and Kentucky; in recent years, this long-standing problem has skyrocketed with the proliferation of clandestine “mom and pop” methamphetamine laboratories. To combat the overall drug problem, the EPD joined forces with the Vanderburgh County Sheriff’s Office to form the Evansville-Vanderburgh County Drug Task Force. Four members of the 20-member unit were assigned to investigate the growing methamphetamine problem. Public education was a main goal of the Task Force since many methamphetamine labs are actually found in harmless looking packages, such as backpacks or coolers, yet are extremely dangerous. Police officer training also became a crucial component of the Task Force; officers were trained on how to handle the chemicals used in methamphetamine manufacturing and how to properly dispose of such chemicals. The Task Force also teamed with the local fire department to share resources and responsibilities. The Task Force partnerships with citizens and the local fire department have been enormously effective in the detection and eradication of methamphetamine laboratories in the region.