Hanaway discusses meth in Cape Girardeau

With Missouri seeing a decrease in methamphetamine labs due to tougher laws on the drug's ingredients, local and federal officials are preparing for an influx of out-of-the-country imports.

"This is a shift in the battle on drugs," Cape Girardeau Sheriff John Jordan said Wednesday during a news conference with federal prosecutor Catherine Hanaway.

For years local law enforcement officers had received training and equipment for the dismantling of local "mom and pop" meth labs, Jordan said. But as the result of state and federal laws limiting the sales of methamphetamine-producing drugs, such as pseudoephedrine, those labs have seen about a 50 percent decrease statewide.

Despite the decrease, however, meth use has remained the same.

"Meth is such an overpowering and addictive drug that since there is a demand for the drug, there will be a supply," Jordan said.

And that supply is being met with imports from Mexico, according to federal prosecutor Catherine L. Hanaway.

Hanaway said officials were just beginning to see a percentage of those busted for meth-related charges being illegal immigrants and hopes Missouri leads the country in combating that.

As part of her 49-county tour of the Eastern District of Missouri, Hanaway met with Jordan and Cape Girardeau Prosecuting Attorney Morley Swingle on Wednesday to discuss, among other items, the prosecution of meth offenders.

Because more meth is being imported into the state, the federal prosecutor's office has volunteered time and resources on local law enforcement officers in training them to recognize drug dealers transporting meth.

"Fortunately, we get to go back and be police officer again, rather than wearing lab coats and respirators," for the dismantling of a meth lab, Jordan said during a news conference following the meeting.

So far this year, Hanaway said her office was on pace to double the number of meth prosecutions from 2005.

"Our main objective is to determine what combination of state and federal prosecution will most appropriately punish the criminal," Hanaway said.

With methamphetamine, which is highly addictive, Swingle said many of the drug users arrested are prosecuted on the state level where they can receive the treatment needed to get off the drug.

"The ones we're sending to the feds are the big-time dealers," whose sales create more addicts, Swingle said.

The group also talked about prosecuting child sex abusers, which Hanaway called a "growing problem," especially with the advent of the Internet. She warned citizens to leave the prosecution of Internet predators to law enforcment officials and not mimic investigations such as Dateline's undercover sex stings, and for parents to keep a close eye on their children while online.

kmorrison@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 127