Number of meth cases drops in county and region

St. Croix County has lost its No. 1 ranking in one area and it's a good thing.

District Attorney Eric Johnson said that recent Department of Justice statistics, "Indicate that St. Croix County is no longer No. 1 in methamphetamine cases in Wisconsin, which is certainly good news."

"The numbers for the county from 2006 - 2007 show a 40 percent decrease in meth cases," Johnson said. "In addition, the case numbers from 2005 compared with 2007 indicate a 50 percent decrease."

In 2005, there were 726 meth cases from 45 counties sent to the state crime lab. Over half the cases were in a seven county region that includes St. Croix, Burnett, Polk, Barron, Dunn, Pierce and Eau Claire counties. By 2007, meth cases declined nearly 50 percent statewide and 60 percent in western Wisconsin over the two-year period.

"St. Croix County was once ground zero for meth crime that was infiltrating our communities, destroying families and escalating costs for taxpayers," said State Sen. Sheila Harsdorf (R-River Falls).

"This addictive and lethal drug is disastrous for those involved, their families and our communities. The work of local law enforcement and judges, coupled with innovative efforts such as drug courts and educational and rehabilitation campaigns, has led to remarkable progress," said Harsdorf.

"I believe the pseudoephedrine bill along with aggressive law enforcement, prosecution and stiff sentences by state and federal judges have contributed to the decline," said Johnson.

"I applaud the hard work and cooperative effort of community leaders on this important issue," Harsdorf said. "Our fight against this drug will not end, but the leaders on this issue in our communities have turned the tide."

"The numbers in St. Croix County are still too high and we need to continue to focus our efforts in decreasing them," said Johnson. "It's a continuing effort to educate other parts of the state about our problem and ensure necessary resources are directed to our region."

Tags: news, hudson, meth