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A DRUG ON THE MOVE IN INDIANA
Indiana: A Drug On The Move
When Doug Harp began working narcotics cases for the Noble County, Indiana Sheriff's Department in the mid-1990s, methamphetamine already had shown up in northeast Indiana.
Originally a West Coast drug, "meth" use and manufacture slowly had been working its way east. But Harp, now the department's chief deputy, didn't expect meth use to explode the way it has in Noble and other Indiana area counties.
"I don't think it has peaked yet," said Harp, whose department has 18 sworn officers - including those in desk jobs - to police about 420 square miles of territory.
Coping with the problem has forced area police to divert resources from other needs. It also has sent enforcement and jail costs soaring.
Meth investigations now make up about 75 percent of Noble County, Indiana Sheriff's Department drug cases, Harp said. The total is about triple what it was when he worked for the narcotics unit.
"Every year, that is what we see - a slight increase, a slight increase," Noble County, Indiana Prosecutor Steven Clouse said.
Clouse's office filed 411 drug-related cases last year, or more than one a day. About 70 percent of the cases involved meth or marijuana, he said.
The nature of meth cases also has changed, Harp said.
In early years, the Sheriff's Department arrested mostly meth users, he said. Today, many users operate crude laboratories to "cook" their own supply and a little extra for sale.
"We get a constant flow of tips on meth labs," Harp said.
The department also has worked hard to educate its officers about signs of meth use or manufacture, he said. That has paid off, especially for Deputy Kirby Miller and his police-dog partner, Chico.
Miller and the drug-sniffing Dutch shepherd made 103 drug arrests last year. Their work took 176 grams of methamphetamine - as well as other narcotics - out of circulation in Indiana communities.
But the cost of dealing with the meth problem in Indiana has skyrocketed along with the caseload.
"Whenever we do a search warrant, it takes a lot of people, a lot of planning and a lot of time," Harp said. Raids or arrests typically involve 10 to 12 police officers, which means the department usually must pay some officers overtime.
In addition, busting a meth lab requires calling in what amounts to a police hazardous materials team to clean up the toxic chemicals left behind, he said.
The Noble County, Indiana Sheriff's Department has tried to hold down overtime pay, Harp said. The agency also has reduced costs by collaborating with other Indiana police agencies through the Indiana Multi-Agency Group Enforcement, or IMAGE, task force.
The task force includes officers or support from the Indiana State Police, Auburn Police, Kendallville Police, and Noble and Steuben county sheriff's departments. Members investigated about 140 drug cases last year, Harp said, which averages out to one case every 2.6 days.
Taking meth users and makers off the street, however, has increased demands on jails and prosecutors' offices.
In Noble County, Indiana the steady climb in meth arrests has resulted in a larger Indiana jail population, Harp said. Specific figures were not available.
Indiana: A Drug On The Move
When Doug Harp began working narcotics cases for the Noble County, Indiana Sheriff's Department in the mid-1990s, methamphetamine already had shown up in northeast Indiana.
Originally a West Coast drug, "meth" use and manufacture slowly had been working its way east. But Harp, now the department's chief deputy, didn't expect meth use to explode the way it has in Noble and other Indiana area counties.
"I don't think it has peaked yet," said Harp, whose department has 18 sworn officers - including those in desk jobs - to police about 420 square miles of territory.
Coping with the problem has forced area police to divert resources from other needs. It also has sent enforcement and jail costs soaring.
Meth investigations now make up about 75 percent of Noble County, Indiana Sheriff's Department drug cases, Harp said. The total is about triple what it was when he worked for the narcotics unit.
"Every year, that is what we see - a slight increase, a slight increase," Noble County, Indiana Prosecutor Steven Clouse said.
Clouse's office filed 411 drug-related cases last year, or more than one a day. About 70 percent of the cases involved meth or marijuana, he said.
The nature of meth cases also has changed, Harp said.
In early years, the Sheriff's Department arrested mostly meth users, he said. Today, many users operate crude laboratories to "cook" their own supply and a little extra for sale.
"We get a constant flow of tips on meth labs," Harp said.
The department also has worked hard to educate its officers about signs of meth use or manufacture, he said. That has paid off, especially for Deputy Kirby Miller and his police-dog partner, Chico.
Miller and the drug-sniffing Dutch shepherd made 103 drug arrests last year. Their work took 176 grams of methamphetamine - as well as other narcotics - out of circulation in Indiana communities.
But the cost of dealing with the meth problem in Indiana has skyrocketed along with the caseload.
"Whenever we do a search warrant, it takes a lot of people, a lot of planning and a lot of time," Harp said. Raids or arrests typically involve 10 to 12 police officers, which means the department usually must pay some officers overtime.
In addition, busting a meth lab requires calling in what amounts to a police hazardous materials team to clean up the toxic chemicals left behind, he said.
The Noble County, Indiana Sheriff's Department has tried to hold down overtime pay, Harp said. The agency also has reduced costs by collaborating with other Indiana police agencies through the Indiana Multi-Agency Group Enforcement, or IMAGE, task force.
The task force includes officers or support from the Indiana State Police, Auburn Police, Kendallville Police, and Noble and Steuben county sheriff's departments. Members investigated about 140 drug cases last year, Harp said, which averages out to one case every 2.6 days.
Taking meth users and makers off the street, however, has increased demands on jails and prosecutors' offices.
In Noble County, Indiana the steady climb in meth arrests has resulted in a larger Indiana jail population, Harp said. Specific figures were not available.
