JANESVILLE, Wis. (AP) - Half of the nearly 30 methamphetamine labs identified by law enforcement in Wisconsin since October have been found in two southern counties.
Data from the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Milwaukee office show Rock County had four labs while Walworth County had nine.
Rock County sheriff’s Cmdr. Troy Knudson told the Janesville Gazette (https://bit.ly/2qvKJIN ) that meth incidents are increasing statewide, with almost 50 labs found in fiscal year 2016 compared to almost 15 in 2012.
“I don’t like having a few cases here in the last year,” Knudson said. “But I continue to see reports on a regular basis. Marijuana cases occur very frequently. Heroin cases occur very frequently. It’s still fairly unusual to see methamphetamine cases.”
Knudson said meth is a serious concern because of how harmful it can be.
“We see that drug as a very serious threat to public safety,” he said. “That’s why that is one of our highest focuses.”
Walworth County sheriff’s Capt. Robert Hall said the county drug unit’s focus on investigating meth cases is likely why police have uncovered so many.
The drug unit has a sergeant and four deputies. Lake Geneva police sent an officer to work with the unit full time in February, said Lake Geneva police Lt. Ed Gritzner.
It had been quite some time since another police agency had contributed an officer to the drug unit, Hall said.
“Does it help? Yeah, absolutely,” Hall said. “We have another body that’s out combating drugs in the county.”
In recent years Walworth authorities have found meth labs in various towns, hotels and even in the middle of the road, Hall said.
Law enforcement officials said the meth labs found in the area tend to be one-pot meth cooks that use plastic bottles, which can explode and cause serious chemical damage.
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Information from: The Janesville Gazette, https://www.gazetteextra.com
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