Waterloo Crime Drops in 2009 But Meth Making Comeback

By Dave Franzman, Reporter

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By Becky Ogann

Story Created: Jan 22, 2010 at 11:19 AM CST

Story Updated: Jan 22, 2010 at 6:14 PM CST

WATERLOO - Despite some high profile cases last year, including an officer-involved fatal shooting, crime dropped in Waterloo by two percent in 2009.

But the amount of methamphetamine...or the purer form of "Ice" crystals...seized by officers increased by 50 percent. And authorities found more meth labs than the year before.

One official in the Governor's Office of Drug Control Policy told TV9 that a "bounce back" in the number of meth cases has happened statewide in the last three years. But the number of meth cases remains well behind the peak years of the mid 2000's.

Dale Woolery, with the drug office, says statistics show a 44% increases in meth lab busts from 2007 until the end of 2009. But that can be deceiving because the number of meth cases fell dramatically beginning in 2005 with a new state law requiring purchasers to register at pharmacies whenever they buy cold medicine containing pseudoephedrine. That substance is used to make methamphetamine.

Before the law change, in 2004, Iowa authorities found 1,500 meth labs statewide. The number dripped to a low of just 178 in 2007. Last year, investigators found 257 meth labs statewide.

Woolery tells TV9 that criminals have found ways to skirt reporting rules for purchasing cold medications. Some now go from pharmacy to pharmacy buying the limit at each. Right now, there's no "real time" way to track purchases at different places by computer. But lawmakers did pass a law requiring such a database. The state is currently seeking vendors and expects to have a system on line by July 1st. Woolery expects to see meth lab busts begin to fall again.

In Waterloo, authorities say they were a bit surprised that overall crime did drop from the year before. Interim Police Chief John Beckman said luck played a part in the better statistics, but he also said police were more active with the number of calls and arrests higher than the year before.

Aggravated assaults in that city did go up almost 17%. But the number of burglaries dropped 5%. The overall decrease in crime was 2%.

Waterloo Police seized almost $1.3-million dollars worth of methamphetamine manufactured in illegal labs or brought into the area. The year before, the amount seized had an estimated street value of about $600,000. In 2009, authorities there seized 35 meth labs up from 29 the year before.

2009 Statewide Seizures

2004 Statewide Seizures

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