Go to the Top of page
Anti-Meth.org
Home | About us | Contact us |  | Links  | Get Help


To report broken links or problems please contact Webmaster
Copyright © Anti-Meth.org 2006-2008 All Rights Reserved
Website Design by
T&J Designz
Meth in Georgia
CLICK HERE FOR
White County, GA Statistics


Drug busts reach all-time high in 2005 North Georgia


Gwinnett law enforcement had a record year in taking illegal drugs off the
county's streets in 2005, police said Wednesday.

The county's Multi-Agency Drug Task Force last year seized illegal
substances with a street value of more than $34 million, more than a
threefold jump from $9.5 million in 2004.

The task force's total charges filed rose to 1,475 from 1,314 in 2004.
"They count charges, not bodies," District Attorney Danny Porter said
Wednesday.

The total includes charges resulting from traffic stops all the way to large
trafficking cases, he said.

The task force's drug seizures included 119 kilograms of cocaine. Police
spokesmen were unable to document how much methamphetamine,
marijuana and other drugs were confiscated.

However, according to U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration
statistics, methamphetamine seizures continue to rise both in
Georgia and nationwide. The latest DEA figures show nearly 1,818
kilos of meth were seized nationwide during the first nine months of
2005.

"We have seen a trend over the last two or three years where the
volume of methamphetamine seizures has significantly increased,"
said Ruth Porter Whipple, spokeswoman for the Atlanta Field
Division of the DEA.

The Atlanta office is responsible for drug enforcement efforts in
Georgia, the Carolinas and Tennessee.

Imported meth from Mexico or from "superlabs" on the West Coast
"affects the entire metro area," Whipple said.

Of the more than 30 percent increase in county drug cases in 2005,
"the vast majority were meth cases," Porter said.

The task force's record year can be attributed to several factors, said
Darren Moloney, Gwinnett police spokesman.

First, he said, a greater emphasis was placed on using information from
the confidential drug tip hotline, 770-962-NARC (770-962-6272).

"The theory here is that residents are the first to notice when something is
suspicious in their neighborhood," Moloney said.

The task force also concentrated last year on coordinating its efforts with
those of other local, state and federal agencies.

"We get more work done and we do better work when we work together,"
Moloney said. "The cases are stronger when we all work together."

Task force commander Maj. Bart Hulsey credited cooperation from the
public and the long and sometimes irregular hours put in by his troops for
the record seizures.

Metro Atlanta's status as a major hub in the U.S. market also played a role.

"Whether a person is dealing in coffee tables or crack cocaine, metro
Atlanta provides tremendous opportunities for transport and marketing,"
Moloney said.

The task force is composed of personnel from the police departments of
Gwinnett County, Lawrenceville, Lilburn, Norcross, Snellville and Suwanee,
as well as the Gwinnett district attorney's office.

The task force was formed as part of a campaign promise from Porter
when he ran for district attorney in 1994.

The membership varies from year to year, Porter said, but "it gives us one
drug enforcement agency for the entire county."


This Article was written
By JOHN GHIRARDINI
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 01/12/06
Meth Resources in Georgia
Georgia Council on Substance Abuse
Meth Effects