Citizens play key role in drug battle

While the names and nature of the people arrested by the Northwest Drug Task Force change over time, one thing doesn't. The team needs the community's help to control drug trafficking.

It was only four or five years ago that the drug team's work was thrust into the public eye. It seemed like every week officers were on the run as they raided methamphetamine labs and arrested people accused of concocting the illegal stimulant.

The news was full of images of officers in hazardous materials suits, gathering toxic chemicals from makeshift laboratories. It was hard to miss.

Those days are gone now because the meth labs have largely moved out of the area, but that doesn't mean officers aren't still hard at work. "Made in Montana" meth is being replaced by methamphetamine that is imported, usually from Spokane, according to drug-team leader Kevin Burns.

The drug team doesn't make as many headlines, but residents still need to be aware that there are officers dedicated to tracking down drug dealers and that they still depend on a vigilant citizenry. The person arrested today might lead to another arrest tomorrow. The search warrant executed today might provide leads to another half dozen suspects later.

Many of us will never have a family member or friend who will use meth. We are lucky. But too often this drug invades the lives of average citizens in ways they never expected. It is therefore important for all of us to be aware of the warning signs of drug use and to be ready to intervene in some way. Our friends and family could ultimately depend on it.

Sometimes it's a circuitous route that leads from tip to arrest. And sometimes, a case can't be made, even after a year, based on a tip, Burns said. But often, information given to officers can start the process moving.

The drug team's shift from storming labs to breaking up trafficking syndicates has taken it out of the public view, but not away from their work. The team works closely with other agencies, including federal officers, as the drug crosses borders and makes its way into the Flathead.

We shouldn't mistake silence for inactivity. Certainly methamphetamine remains a danger to the community, and certainly the police still need our help.