Meth poses danger to community
By Dep. Tim Lohman Moorpark Police Department

Methamphetamine, also known on the street as "meth," is one of the most dangerous drugs sweeping the nation today. Once thought of as a drug found primarily in rural neighborhoods, it is slowly spreading into local neighborhoods and communities, including Ventura County. The proliferation of this drug has challenged law enforcement, hospitals and social agencies alike.

The manufacturing of methamphetamine is highly dangerous to citizens in close proximity to the production sites and is also hazardous to the environment as well. The manufacturing of this drug is often done in homes or outbuildings commonly called "clandestine labs" or "meth labs."

The primary chemical used in the production of methamphetamine is hypophosphoric acid, which produces a deadly phosphine gas.

A common perception by the general public is that it cannot happen here in Moorpark. Yet despite being a relatively small city, Moorpark is not exempt from the reality of drugs coming into neighborhoods.

There was a recent discovery of a clandestine lab in Thousand Oaks. The detection of the lab was made possible when the suspect was overcome by fumes from the phosphine gas and had to be transported to the hospital. Deputies from the Thousand Oaks Police Department responded to the hospital and began an investigation, which led to the discovery of the lab.

The city of Moorpark experienced two recent incidents where the deputies assigned to the Moorpark Police Services Center conducted two separate investigations, which led to uncovering two meth labs in the community.

The first lab was discovered at a residence in Moorpark. Deputies received a call from a neighbor of an unknown person running into the backyard of a residence. Deputies determined that the suspicious person was the resident of the home and was wanted on an outstanding warrant.

While arresting the suspect on the local warrant, deputies noticed 100 Sudafed pills in the home. The pills contain an ingredient that is commonly used in the manufacture of methamphetamine. The deputies located several baggies of meth and other chemicals consistent with the production of the drug. The male and female adults of the residence were arrested and their child was removed and placed with a relative.

State law now limits the amount of Sudafed that can be purchased for self-consumption. Due to the abuse of Sudafed in manufacturing meth, the medicine has been removed from the store shelves and placed behind the pharmacy counter.

In the discovery of the second methamphetamine lab, deputies responded to a domestic disturbance call in the unincorporated area just outside the city limits. During the deputies' investigation of the call, they discovered that one of the involved parties was in possession of methamphetamine. Additional investigation led to the discovery of an inactive methamphetamine lab in an outbuilding on the property.

Although a clandestine lab may be inactive, the chemicals stored on the property still pose a public health hazard. Narcotic officers assigned to the Ventura County Combined Agencies Task Force and agents with the Bureau of Narcotics Enforcement were called in to assist in the processing and removal of hazardous and toxic chemicals involved in these two clandestine meth labs.

Detecting a lab may not be obvious. Suspicious activity like increased traffic of persons unknown to the neighborhood should always raise concerns for residents. Houses with blackedout windows and/or aftermarket ventilation systems coming from a home or outbuilding are suspicious. Labshaped bottles or unusuallyshaped glassware not associated with cooking food should also raise suspicions. Finally, some smells that may be consistent with methamphetamine production are the smell of chlorine, Freon, Coleman fuel, solvents or gases.

In the fight against local drug production, citizens can impact on their own communities' safety by remaining alert to suspicious activity in their neighborhood. Residents who suspect someone is involved with methamphetamine production are reminded to stay away from the location and call the Ventura County Sheriff's Departments Narcotics Bureau at (805) 3838700.