Methamphetamine in the neighborhood threatens your quality of life and reduces your property values.

Meth-related activity increases the incidence of burglary, robbery, and violence. It creates an environment of fear and distrust. It wreaks havoc with families. It hurts and endangers children.

Indications of meth in your neighborhood:

A combination of the indicators below may signal the presence of meth in your neighborhood.

Vehicular traffic and automobiles

• Expensive vehicles that seem out of place for the area
• Regular car switching, especially at odd hours:
  people arrive in one car and leave in another
• Vehicles stopping for short stays - less than 20 minutes
• Frequent late-night deliveries
• Significant increase in vehicular traffic
• Suspicious vehicles: clean license plates on a dirty car, damage consistent with the car being stolen vehicle
• House displays a different characteristic when traffic picks up - for example, a new light is turned on or a blind is left partially open to signal that drugs are available

Foot traffic

• People parking away from the premises and walking in
• Unkempt, disoriented visitors or neighbors
• People carrying in tools, electronics, or other items that may be used to sell or trade for drugs

Change in property conditions

• Accumulations of trash or junk
• Deterioration of the premises or grounds
• Dismantling of vehicles or machinery (often the high gives meth users the energy to start projects, but they lack the ability to concentrate enough to finish them)

Occupants' appearance and behavior

• Unkempt, dirty appearance
• Children show signs of abuse or neglect
• Pets are unattended, neglected
• Occupant is awake for days at a time
• Occupant sleeps for days at a time
• There is frequent partying in the home
• There are many young visitors, even when the occupants do not have children in the same age group as the visitors

Surroundings

• Increased crime in the neighborhood, especially crimes of opportunity such as vehicle thefts and burglaries
• Other neighbors exhibiting unusual behavior - hanging out at the drug house or defending the occupants, for example

Steps you can take to prevent meth use in your neighborhood:

DO:

• Be observant and aware of what is going on in your neighborhood
• Report suspected meth use or distribution (dealing) to law enforcement
• Get a checklist of information that you can use to spot a meth house or lab in your neighborhood
• Write down as much information as possible about suspected meth activity, including:
  
  
  • License plate numbers
  • Make and model of vehicle
  • Time of day when traffic is heaviest
  • Descriptions of individuals involved

DO NOT:

• Approach or confront anyone you think is involved with meth. Individuals under the influence of meth, or protecting their meth activities, can be dangerous
• Enter the residence of a suspected meth user
• Touch anything that has to do with meth
• Ignore the problem