Oneida Nation Addresses Meth Issue

Oneida Nation Police say the illegal manufacture and use of methamphetamine drugs has become a national epidemic. ONP is teaming with Homeland Securityto help a number of rural law enforcement agencies from around the area attack the problem.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security Rural Policing Institute presents a free workshop on methamphetamine investigations, hosted by the Oneida Indian Nation Police Department, March 21, 2012. Officers from agencies including NYPD, Albany County Sheriff's Dept., Sherrill P.D., Chittenango P.D., East Syracuse P.D., East Stroudsburg University P.D., and Oneida Nation P.D. are scheduled to attend.

Oneida Indian Nation Police Superintendent Arthur Pierce said, "Law enforcement does not operate in a vacuum. From the beginning, we have strived to share our personnel and resources with other agencies. When police departments cooperate and work together, everybody wins."

The workshop covers the methamphetamine culture, effects of the drug on abusers, a basic understanding of methamphetamine labs and the hazards associated with them, and the dangers faced by children found in meth-addicted households.

Oneida Indian Nation Police Chief Joe Smith said, "Clandestine methamphetamine labs started on the West Coast a number of years ago, but have now made their way into our local communities. Law enforcement training is the key to detecting and combating this horrible drug."