Landlords take steps to head off meth dealers
By MARY PERHAM THE LEADER

PHOTO BY ERIC WENSEL Horseheads Police Sgt. Dan West talks to the Bath Landlords' Association about meth labs and how to identify them during a meeting Wednesday night at the Lakeview Apartments in Bath.

BATH - Bath landlords took steps Wednesday night to prevent methamphetamine dealers from calling the village home.

Meth labs can be as small as a backpack or two plastic containers hooked together, Sgt. Dan West of the Horseheads Village Police Department said at a workshop meeting of the Bath Landlords' Association.

And locating materials is as easy as signing on to the Internet, West said.

"Just log in 'meth,' Google it and you'll get 600,000 hits, first try," he said.

Considered the fastest growing illicit drug in the U.S., the materials and byproducts in the production of the highly addictive drug are toxic and explosive, adding to the danger of the volatile, unpredictable users.

West outlined ways vigilant landlords can identify the dangerous labs such as noting stockpiles of stove fuel, cold remedies, drain cleaner, rock salt and lithium batteries. Meth cookers may store containers of their urine to extract the drug if supplies run short, he said.

Tenants setting up meth labs are often secretive, install expensive security devices and work in their apartments throughout the night, according to West.

With the equipment small and mobile, dealers can start manufacturing the drug on location and move to another site to finish cooking the meth, West said.

Meth also produces an intense odor, such as ether, ammonia, or strong cat urine, West said.

"If you do see something, your next step is call the police, don't touch it," he told the two dozen landlords at the meeting. "You think something's going on, make the call."

Landlords risk injury to themselves if they move a suspicious object, West said. And there are government funds available to help landlords pay for damage to their apartments, if they leave the site unaltered.

The meeting provided landlords with good information, according to landlady Pat Schuart, of Bath.

"We're unaware of these things," Schuart said. "This just makes us aware of what's out there."

While there have been few reports of meth lab busts locally, the counties just east of Steuben County have gained national notoriety as "Meth Valley."

According to a report last year, more than a quarter of the 200 labs discovered in the state since 1999 have been located in Chemung and Tioga counties. Some 92 labs have been raided in the Southern Tier since 1999.

Learning more about different problems such as meth labs helps landlords be better members of the overall community, said landlord Mike Ahmed.

"It is very important we all be involved in this," Ahmed said. "So we can help in the health of the community."

Bath Village Police Chief David Rouse said there is no reason to believe meth labs are being set up in the village now.

But the information West provided landlords could prevent labs, and is useful in dealing with other drug problems, Rouse said.

"A lot of these indicators hold true for other problems," he said.

The association also helps landlords with background checks and other information to prevent unwanted tenants. In the past, that information has assisted landlords and led to arrests.

"The way I look at it, I want these guys to get what's coming to them," said association President David Lewis. "But if they don't come in at all because they know we're serious about this, that's good enough for me."