More methamphetamine labs were found during the first half of this year than the same time last year, according to a report from the state Department of Ecology.
Snohomish County continues to be one of the top lab producers in the state, ranking third among the highest-volume counties, according to the report.
It is on its way to surpassing the number of labs reported last year.
During the first six months of this year, 52 labs were reported to the state, said Mary-Ellen Voss, a department spokeswoman.
That number was 49 last year with a total of 98 labs reported in 2003, she said.
Police say the slight increase doesn’t necessarily mean a spike in meth production. They think the jump could reflect the growing cooperation between the community and police.
Neighbors have learned to spot drug houses and are calling police with tips.
Also the county earlier this year joined Meth Watch, a program that teaches business owners and their employees to report any suspicious sales of common household products used to make the drug.
“Knowledge is power, and the more people we can empower the more we’re able to identify drug activity,” said Pat Slack, commander of the Snohomish Regional Drug Task Force.
Snohomish County Sheriff Rick Bart said he expected the numbers to increase with the county joining Meth Watch.
“We’re getting information from sources that we didn’t have before,” he said. “It’s encouraging that we’re hearing more but it’s disheartening since we’re working really hard.”
Reports of meth labs in the county have jumped significantly since the late 1990s. Four labs were reported to the state in 1997.
There were more than 20 times as many labs reported in 2002 – a year after the task force geared up to handle labs.
“Our investigations indicate that we have a better handle on what’s going on now,” Slack said.
More needs to be done to combat the demand for the drug, he said. Even if police run all the labs out of the county, the drug will be imported from other areas.
“We’re out there shaking trees,” he said. “We need still working on the education arm to reduce the demand.”
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