Sheriffs' Office
Preventing
Drug Labs on Your Property
Tips for
Motel Managers and Owners:
Methamphetamine
Provided
by The Cheyenne Meth Initiative.
The Costs
to Motel Owners are Huge
When drug criminals operate out of motel property, owners pay a high price:
- Property
damage from abuse and police raids
- Loss
of revenue
- Negative
publicity
- Employee
turnover
- Litigation
costs
- Civil
penalties, including loss of property use
- Toxic
contamination and/or fire from meth production*
You
Can Prevent Big Problems! Watch for individuals that...
- Pay with
cash
- Are local
residents
- Have no
photo identification
- Appear
to be using drugs. Hard-core meth addicts will look sleep-deprived,
may have open sores on their skin, have bad teeth, and generally
appear unclean*
Protect
Your Property and Employees
Put policies
and training in place to help employees take these steps.
- Require
visitors to use a main entrance
- Cancel missing keys immediately
- Perform
room checks on a daily basis
- Check
the halls and the perimeter of your building
- Talk
with nearby motels about suspicious individuals
- Know
signs of meth-related behaviors*
These are
the FACTS:
- A growing
number of meth labs are found on motel property
- Motel owners
are responsible for decontamination costs
- Decontamination
costs average $2000 for a single room****
Harms
Caused by Drug Labs.
Clandestine
drug labs are routinely found in all sorts of environments,
including motels and hotels. Drug labs cause three types
of harm:
- Physical
injury from explosions, fires, chemical burns, and toxic
fumes. The long term health risk from exposure to chemicals
used to produce drugs is significant.
- Environmental
hazards. Contamination of the ground, water supplies,
buildings, and furniture can last for years.
- Child
endangerment. Exposure to chemicals, neglect or abuse,
and living in filthy, hazardous conditions place kids at
high risk for a variety of problems.***
Watch
for signs of a drug lab.
Employees,
including desk attendants and maids, can be trained to look
for signs that indicate a lab is set up in a room. Signs
include:
- Unusual
strong chemical odors
- Excessive
amounts of cold medicines, empty pill bottles, blister packs,
matches, baggies, lithium batteries, funnels, or plastic
tubing
- Bottles
with hoses running from them
- Excessive
amounts of trash, specific to making meth (chemical containers,
empty cans of paint, red-stained cloth, duct tape rolls
- Secretive
or unfriendly occupants
If you
suspect a meth lab on your property: Contact your local police
or sheriff's office.
If it's
an emergency, dial 911
Do not
enter a site that you think may be a clandestine meth lab!
Labs that
are used for producing meth are dangerous.
- Meth
labs may have traps set up
- Explosions
or fires could occur
- You
could be exposed to hazardous chemicals
For more
information contact:
Cheyenne-Laramie County Meth Initiative
Box 371
Cheyenne, WY 82003
E-mail
Emergency
Numbers
Cheyenne,
Wyoming Police Dept.
(307) 637-6521
Laramie
County Sheriff's Office
(307) 633-4700
Department
of Family Services
(307) 777-7921
Websites
The MFiles: www.mfiles.org
National
Drug Intelligence Center
www.usdoj.gov/ndic
National
Institute on Drug Abuse
www.drugabuse.gov
InfoFacts:
Methamphetamine
www.drugabuse.gov/infofacts/methamphetamine.html
National
Drug Intelligence Center
www.usdoj.gov/ndic
Office
of National Drug Control Policy
www.whitehousedrugpolicy.gov
The Partnership
for a Drug-Free America
www.drugfree.org
Wyoming
State Department of Health
Substance Abuse Division
http://wdh.state.wy.us/SAD
Brochure
References
* Landlord
Training Program.
Campbell Delong Resources Inc.
www.cdri.com/LandlordTraining/LTPNat4_0.pdf
** What
are the Signs of a Meth Lab?
Meth Fact Sheet.
The Partnership for a Drug-Free America. www.drugfree.org/Files/Meth_Fact_Sheets
***COPS
Clandestine Drug Labs.
U.S. Department
of Justice.
www.cops.usdoj.gov
**** Preventing
Drug Labs on Your Property. Tips for Motel Managers and Owners.
Washington
State Dept. of Health.
Div. of
Environmental Health and Safety.
www.doh.wa.gov/ehp/ts/CDL/landlortips.htm
|
