Fighting use of meth in county is paramount

By Irene Endicott

and Donna Michelson

The manufacture and use of methamphetamine in Snohomish County has reached epidemic proportions.

It’s cheap, easy to make and easy to distribute, especially when many labs are mobile. In fact, Washington state leads the nation in mobile meth labs. Meth has invaded our schools, our Tribes, our neighborhoods, and threatens our environment. Our jails are full of addicts, each one costing taxpayers $86 per day.

In 2001 and 2002, Citizens For A Safe Snohomish County (CSSC), our volunteer, nonpartisan citizen task force conducted an examination of understaffing in the Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office. Our public report got the attention of county leaders and following its release, the county executive made “public safety (our) number one priority.” During the study of the staffing situation at the Sheriff’s Office, it became clear from the testimony of dozens of witnesses that meth was often at the root of the problem. According to Sheriff Rick Bart, two-thirds of all crime in Snohomish County can be directly linked to meth.

Because meth represents the fastest growing threat to public safety in our community, CSSC’s 2003 priority is to study how the county and its components address this number one problem and whether they are providing reasonable and responsible services to citizens. We will make a public report of findings and recommendations later this year.

Since the release of our public report on understaffing, families continue to contact CSSC to report meth and other drug activity on their street. Citizens tell wrenching tales of their efforts to rid their neighborhoods of the scourge of meth. The constant drug activity robs them of sleep, forces them to live in fear of flying bullets, filth, rats, drug paraphernalia in their yard, loose and dangerous dogs and strangers pounding on their door in the middle of the night demanding money for drugs.

These families resort to recruiting neighbors to take shifts through the night crouching in the cold in dark clothing behind bushes with paper and pencil, recording license numbers and personal descriptions to be called in to 911. They praise overworked deputies who answer the calls. When arrests take place, the dealers and their customers make bail under current law and return to business as usual.

CSSC applauds neighborhood activism such as the group LEAD ON! (Law Enforcement Against Drugs in Our Neighborhoods), headed by courageous crusaders against meth, Susan York and Tina Haggett. However, CSSC believes we have a legitimate expectation that our county government should not force citizens into “do it yourself law enforcement.” Trained deputies should play this dangerous game, not emotionally drained and sleep deprived citizens. Unless we address this problem through comprehensive and meaningful government action, these ordinary people may become tomorrow’s tragic headlines.

CSSC is encouraged by the public safety focus of the Snohomish County Council Law &Justice Committee, led by Council member Jeff Sax and by a campaign pledge made by newly elected prosecuting attorney Janice Ellis, that she will make the eradication of meth a priority and strengthen the abatement law (to close drug houses), a law regularly used in other counties in the state but one she says has never been used in Snohomish County. Ellis will need the cooperation of county government to find the money for more deputies and for a stronger, more effective meth education, prevention and treatment program. Great strides were made in 2002 with two highly successful Snohomish County Meth Summits in January and May where hundreds of adults and nearly 1,000 middle and high school kids were empowered to fight the meth epidemic. Those present at the Youth Meth Summit will never forget the haunting testimony of Mrs. Tammy Sheary regarding the murder of her son Brady, by a meth dealer.

We challenge Sax and Ellis to build on that momentum. CSSC will assist in the effort. Snohomish County’s largely volunteer Meth Action Team and dedicated students and educators from area schools provided the catalyst for a statewide effort to reverse the terrible trend toward increased meth production and use in communities across the state. Our hope is to continue to be a beacon of hope for others as we work to rid our county of meth.

The meth epidemic in all its forms will drain county resources and lack of support to stop it will permanently damage the trust of our people in government. More importantly, the cost in human life, health and disability is intolerable. CSSC urges you to get involved as part of the solution.

For more information, educational materials, prevention and treatment resources, contact Citizens For A Safe Snohomish County, P.O. Box 13618, Mill Creek, WA 98082 or email us at SnoCoSafety@msn.com.

Irene Endicott is Chair of Citizens For A Safe Snohomish County and resides in south Everett. Donna Michelson is a member of the task force and Mayor Pro-Tem of the Mill Creek City Council.