A new approach to help the fight against illegal drugs
By Kristy Schiebel
Story Published: Jul 29, 2009 at 5:40 PM CDT

Story Updated: Jul 29, 2009 at 5:44 PM CDT

Federal Stimulus money is the newest ammo to fight methamphetamine and other illegal drugs in MIssouri.



Nearly 40 police agencies will share of 7.3 million dollars.



Local sheriff's across the Ozarks say you can bet that most people locked up are behind bars because of some drug-related issue. Whether it's an actual drug charge, or perhaps stealing money to buy drugs.



That's why officers and citizens are glad more help has arrived.



For Bruce McCroskey, he had to look no farther than his neighbor's house for what could have been a potentially deadly mix.



"we always joked that that's probably the meth lab in the community, and we just joked around about it."



In April, that joke suddenly wasn't followed by a laugh.



It became reality when the mobile home next door exploded because the people inside were cooking meth.



"the process of making meth itself is what's really dangerous..."



Sheriff Joey Kyle was one among many law officers today thrilled to get more cash to fight drugs.



"why is it a challenge in Missouri? Highway 44 moves product. We have a lot of rural areas where people can hide meth labs and make meth."



Greene County's Combined Ozarks Multi-jurisdictional Enforcement Team (known as COMET) will get about 526,000 dollars in grant funding to help nab and hopefully re-hab drug offenders, many of whom take up jail space in cramped quarters.



"we do a screening, a medical screening and we're finding that probably 70 to 80-percent of people coming through the jail are addicted to methamphetamine."



"if someboy wins, we all win."



Springfield Police Chief Lynn Rowe says the money won't come to his department directly. But more funding for the departments around his. And their success will help his department, one that's operating extremely short-handed.



"it means money for the counties that surround us because if they don't do any enforcement at all, that means the problem is only going to grow here."



Sheriff Kyle in Christian County has 81 inmates right now, 18 are there on drug charges, but he says nearly all of them are locked up for some drug related issue.



So, good news for a lot of officers today.
Of course, this is not to be confused with the money Springfield police department was denied to hire more officers.



http://www.ky3.com/news/local/52019337.html