It is a new battle plan in the war on drugs. Two organizations in the Clinton County area are working together to crack down on meth, changing the way people report it.
According to the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, in 2009 there were 267 meth labs in Iowa; 305 in 2010; 412 in 2011; and so far in 2012 (January-June) there have been 173 labs. Since 2004, those labs could be reported to Clinton County authorities using the Meth Hotline. It is an 877 number staffed by dedicated operators and dedicated strictly to meth, so anyone could call in a crime or concern.
Kristin Husienga is the Coordinator of the Gateway ImpACT Coalition. She says, "For awhile meth was, not the only thing people talked about, but it was the hot topic. That's what was always out there. We were talking about methamphetamine."
Emergency operators staffed the hotline, and took hundred of calls over the years. 37 generated reports. Several of those ended in arrests. But there are more arrests these days for different kinds of drugs. And community leaders say it makes more sense to pool their resources. Clinton County Sheriff's Deputy Stacey Bussie says, "It's not that meth has gone away, it's just the fact that when we combine our resources, I think we can get a lot more things done."
The Meth Hotline will merge with Crime Stoppers. That means the Gateway ImpACT Coalition will save 60 dollars a month to use elsewhere in the fight against drugs. And tipsters can still call in, reporting meth activity anonymously. It's the only way our experts say we can keep meth off the streets.
To call Clinton County Crime Stoppers, just dial 888-883-8015.
