Neighborhoods

Neighborhoods across Washington have had success in fighting methamphetamine by forming watch groups that work with law enforcement to monitor suspicious drug activity in their areas. You can, too. If you notice that a home or homes in your neighborhood are being used to manufacture or distribute methamphetamine, you and your neighbors can help law enforcement by monitoring the activity around the house and report your findings. Some signs of drug activity include:

Increase in neighborhood crime including burglary, robbery, identity theft, car prowls, and reports of stolen mail.
Unusual amount of traffic at one house with cars usually staying for short periods of time.
Neighbors who are awake and active for days at a time.
Neighbors engaged in unusual activities including disassembling cars or appliances for no apparent reason.
A neighborhood house with bizarre security practices stemming from paranoia.
Neighbors who only smoke outside.
Visitors running in and out of a home carrying backpacks or unusual plastic bags.
Domestic violence, neglected children, and even gunfire.
Homes with the windows blacked out.
Newly acquired "guard" dogs.
Tennis shoes hanging from a telephone wire is an underground signal for drug sale and activity.

Start by talking with your neighbors about meeting together to form a group dedicated to working with law enforcement to monitor activity in the neighborhood. For information on how to start such a group and what you can do, Lead-On America provides some helpful suggestions (Go to http://www.leadonamerica.org/community%20booklet%20print.pdf. Also, http://www.usaonwatch.org/ provides information on how to start a neighborhood watch program.

Community Education Campaigns

Community education is an essential and strategic component of effectively combating methamphetamine use and distribution. Throughout the state are various opportunities for such training. Following are examples of the training provided in various areas in the state.

Meth Watch

Meth Watch's train the trainer program provides training for those interested in becoming community trainers of the Meth Watch program. Meth Watch is sponsored by the Consumer Healthcare Products Association and is designed to help curtail the theft and suspicious sales of pseudoephedrine products, as well as other common household products used in the illicit manufacturing of methamphetamine in small, toxic labs. A key goal of this program is to promote cooperation between retailers and law enforcement to prevent the diversion of legitimate products for illegal use.

Drug Court Professionals

Occasionally, conferences or trainings are held in the state, which people can take advantage of. For example, professionals attended the 12th Annual Drug Court Training Conference in Seattle in June 2006. The principal objectives of this conference, sponsored by the National Association of Drug Court Professionals, were to provide training from peers and experts on current practices and trends in the treatment of addiction, to connect with policymakers on the direction of funding and relevant legislation, to network with fellow practitioners, and to interface with providers of products and services developed to meet the needs of the field. Workshop topics included: the ABC's of Drug Courts, a series on Managing Meth Users Effectively�Community Supervision, the Complexity and Challenges of Meth, Advanced Treatment Issues, Methamphetamine: Creating a Multi-jurisdictional Approach (Tribal), and Drug-Endangered Children.

Tribal Community Training

A train-the-trainer program was established to increase meth awareness in tribal communities. Through the program, law enforcement officers are trained and then encouraged to return to their communities to train officers within their departments.

Meth 360

Washington State was one of four states in the nation selected to participate in Meth 360, a meth education and prevention program developed by the Partnership for a Drug Free America. The program involves and trains prevention, treatment, and law enforcement professionals to give presentations to communities in Washington on ways to combat methamphetamine. The training provides participants with knowledge of the dangers of methamphetamine, along with talking points that they can use to share with other members of the community. Through the program, trained presenters have presented PowerPoint presentations to service clubs and other community audiences. The program is being launched statewide and the Attorney General's Office will assist in training teams of Meth 360 trainers in every county in the state.

Meth Prevention Cookbook

The National Guard, community based organizations, and local law enforcement agencies in the Puget Sound area created a resource, called the Meth Prevention Cookbook, which provided information that can be used for specialized community based training. To access this book, go to http://www.wsnia.org/educator/MethPrevCookbook.htm.

Media Partnerships

Media can inform the public about the dangers of meth and the progress that's being made to combat it. We also need the media to help educate the community through public service programming and public service announcements that generate community support for anti-meth efforts. Community groups can prepare educational or event-oriented news releases to send to local media outlets, then arrange interviews with newspaper, radio, and television contacts to help get the word out about meth. If your community doesn't have many traditional media outlets, you can try partnering with another source to develop a public awareness campaign that also would reach large audiences. For example, the Walla Walla Substance Abuse Task force worked with local restaurants to produce placements that would inform customers about the dangers of meth.

Workplace Partnerships

Employers Must Be Vigilant Observers

Columbia Bank gives tips for handling possible substance abuse

Meth use is on the increase everywhere. More than ever, employers need to understand the possible signs of substance abuse and have policies and practices in place to keep the workplace safe.

In 2003, Quest Diagnostics, an employee drug testing firm, reported a 68 percent increase in meth use among workers and job applicants. The company administered 7.1 million drug tests nationally in 2003. While marijuana remains the most popular drug, with three out of 100 testing positive, 3.2 out of 1,000 tested positive for meth, up from 1.9 out of 1,000 in 2002.

According to Tex Whitney, executive vice president of Columbia Bank, small and large businesses should consider the following:

Use criminal background checks. "If someone has a criminal conviction in their background, they don't come to work here."

Look for patterns. Behavioral indicators of substance abuse such as missing work regularly on specific days like Mondays and Fridays. "People who are substance abusers are more likely to overdo it on weekends, so we look for a consistent pattern of absenteeism."

Note dramatic changes in work performance. "If someone who was a top performer suddenly has poor performance, we look more closely at that. "

Do your homework. Develop a zero tolerance substance abuse policy for employees to sign. The policy should outline the steps the employer can take if employees violate the policy, which could include referral for assessment, treatment, or job termination. "We have policies in our code of conduct. We're committed to providing a drug and alcohol-free workplace."

At Columbia Bank, an employee's supervisor reports any issues to a human resources officer, who works directly with the employee on any further steps. This may include a referral to a third-party assessment through an Employee Assistance Program.

"Supervisors who observe unusual patterns with employee conduct report it to an HR officer who decides a course of action. We keep our supervisors focused on performance," says Whitney.

He is proud that the bank rarely had to use this procedure in 11 years, but acknowledges that the service industry is not immune to meth abuse: "In a white collar industry, we are certainly not absolved from substance abuse issues. We will continue to focus on performance and behavior to ensure a drug and alcohol-free workplace."

Neighborhood Watch Groups

The Neighborhood Watch Program is a successful effort that has been in effect for over thirty years in towns, cities and rural areas across the country. Based on the concept of cooperation, neighborhood watch programs bring together law enforcement, city officials and residents and ask them to work together to provide protection for their homes and communities. Crimes such as burglary, vandalism and mischief threaten every member of each community in Washington and crime watch efforts such as The Neighborhood Watch Program help discourage this type of activity. Supported by the National Sheriff's Association since 1972, the Neighborhood Watch Program is helping the public eradicate residential crime in their neighborhoods.

To contact your Washington county Neighborhood Watch Group, click here.

National Night Out

August 7, 2007

Groups will gather for a variety for events in the streets on which they live�holding block parties, barbecues, picnics, cookouts, safety fairs, and other events to celebrate their efforts to maintain safe and healthy neighborhoods. They will also gather to discuss neighborhood issues, crime prevention, and ways in which they can increase the peace through their active participation. We call this community mobilization. Others call it a step in rebuilding neighborhoods by getting back to the social values that were commonplace many years ago. Regardless of what it's called, we know it is the most effective means of strengthening our neighborhood and deterring crime. National Night Out is designed to Heighten crime and drug prevention awareness, Generate support and participation in local anti-crime efforts such as Community Oriented Policing and Safe Streets Block by Block Organizing, Strengthen neighborhood spirit and unity, Support community and police relations/cooperation, and send a clear message that our neighborhoods are organized, and not prey for illegal activity.

To participate in this year's event, please see the web site http://www.nationaltownwatch.org/nno/.