MARCH 18, 2015
CHILLICOTHE, OHIO
Despite a pair of Tuesday arrests in Pike County connected
to a suspected methamphetamine laboratory, meth activity across the area
appears to be trending downward.
According to Cpt. Kevin Teeters, of the Chillicothe Police
Department, the city has dealt with far fewer calls of suspicious chemical
smells consistent with methamphetamine manufacturing than in recent years.
"Every once in a while, we get a report of places that
smell like a meth lab," Teeters said. "But we just don't get the
calls like we did years ago."
In October, during a discussion of a relatively new city law
that holds property owners responsible to pay for the cost of cleanup of meth
labs on their property, Chillicothe Fire Chief Jeff Creed pointed out that the
city had not responded to any calls for meth lab cleanup over at least the
previous six months.
The change is a classic good news, bad news situation.
Teeters said the resurgence of heroin as the drug of choice locally has been a
primary reason for the decrease in methamphetamine production.
With regard to the Pike County situation, two people were
arrested on charges of operating a suspected methamphetamine laboratory Tuesday
morning after Pike County Sheriff's Office deputies were dispatched to a home
in reference to a noise complaint.
According to the sheriff's office, as law enforcement officials
approached the residence at 1022 Howard Road, one deputy noticed suspicious
movement and a chemical odor coming from inside the garage. When backup
arrived, several suspects inside the garage were detained and officials
reported there was an active meth lab on site.
Once the scene was secured, the Pike County hazmat response
team arrived to locate and collect items for disposal, including what was
reported as a one-pot method meth lab.
Several other items commonly used for the production of meth
were reported seized from the residence. James D. Jones, 38, of Piketon, and
Danielle Whalen, 37, of Seaman, were taken into custody and will face charges
that include illegal assembly of chemicals for the manufacture of
methamphetamine and manufacturing of methamphetamine.
Additional charges may also follow when the case is
presented to a Pike County grand jury.
Source: http://www.chillicothegazette.com