Town Hall meeting sheds light on far-reaching effects of meth

The overriding message of the Town Hall meeting Saturday night was that methamphetamine affects everyone in Carson City.

It can be seen in the family, friends and neighbors consumed by it. It's visible in the crimes committed to obtain it. It's effects are apparent in the tax dollars used to fight it and supply the health care that results from it.

"Within a two-mile radius of this building, I guarantee someone is using meth, has just used it or is getting ready to use it," Justice of the Peace John Tatro told the crowd of about 20 people gathered at the Carson City Community Center.

The meeting was the second of three scheduled this month by Sheriff Kenny Furlong to inform the public about various topics related to crime prevention and law enforcement in Carson City.

"Eighty percent of our problems could go away with just one drug," Furlong said.

The evening included presentations about methamphetamine and gang involvement in the area.

Several themes developed, including the relationship between the two topics and the importance of the public in preventing both drugs and gangs in their neighborhoods.

"Long before law enforcement gets involved the family, friends and neighbors recognized the problem. It has gotten pretty bad when it boils over to where law enforcement is involved," Furlong said.

Sgt. Darrin Sloan, recently appointed as the Special Enforcement Team leader, said, "Our priority is meth because everything we do is surrounded by meth."

Following the presentation on meth, Sgt. Mark Marshall, Gang Unit leader, presented information about gang activity in the area.

"Do we have a gang problem in Northern Nevada? No doubt about it," Marshall said. "Gangs are a very mobile society and we have no intention of letting them into Carson City."

Marshall listed 12 gangs that are known to have members in Carson City, including several Hispanic gangs, motorcycle gangs and white supremacist gangs. There are more than 600 confirmed gang members or associates in Carson City, according to Marshall.

Marshall said law enforcement heavily uses one resource to help identify and combat gang members.

"You, the public, are our No. 1 resource," Marshall said. "If you can't see it when it happens with your kids, you are not looking."

Frank and Clenta Grayshield, members of the Carson Indian Colony, were among those who came to the presentation.

"The startling piece of information was finding out there are 12 different gangs in the area. That's just shocking," Clenta Grayshield said. "Especially since in 2004 the high school denied we even have a gang problem."

Frank Grayshield said, "I thought (the presentation) was fantastic. It had a lot of information for people who had their eyes closed. This kind of information needs to be put out there."

The last Town Hall meeting is scheduled from 6-8 p.m. July 22 in the Carson City Community Center and will focus on crime prevention and protecting oneself from becoming a victim. The series will end with the National Night Out celebration Aug. 1 at Mills Park.

• Contact reporter Jarid Shipley at jshipley@nevadaappeal.com or 881-1217.

By the numbers

Information shared by officials at the Town Hall Meeting on drugs and gang activity:

• A 2001 study showed that 3.9 percent of Carson middle school students had tried methamphetamine. That number rose to 6.8 percent in 2003.

• Up to 80 percent of all community crime is related to methamphetamine.

• There are about 684 known gang members or associates in Carson City, as of May 1.

• Gang members comprise 1 percent of the city's population.

• In 2005 there were 166 gang-related arrests and 966 gang-related crime reports. About 16 percent of the total crime reports in 2005 were gang related.

• There were 199 documented cases of gang graffiti in 2005 and about 180 cases so far in 2006.