Guelph Police want retailers to watch for people buying meth supplies

A program that helps retailers learn what products people buy when they want to make crystal meth at home has been launched in Guelph, where the drug is a growing problem, police say.

"Through our officers, through their observations and contact with members of our community … (we) have noted the challenge that we've had for a number of years with crystal meth," Police Chief Jeff DeRuyter said in a press conference Wednesday morning at the Guelph Community Health Centre to announce the launch of Meth Watch.

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"It is a community problem. We know anecdotally from our officers and those that we deal with, we need to continue to respond and look at, not only treatment, education, awareness, but now to deal with our corporate, our business community, to look at the prevention of getting the materials that are used to make crystal meth."

Based on Kansas program

Meth Watch is a program based on a similar project in Kansas that helped educate retail employees and managers about the kinds of legal products people would purchase when they want to make crystal methamphetamine at home.

Retailers are asked to post signs in their stores, including in the windows, then employees are trained to watch for suspicious transactions. Employees do not confront the customer, but instead contact police when there are red flags.

The Meth Watch website says retailers are a prime target for meth cooks who may steal or buy large quantities of legal products.

Adrienne Crowder, manager of the Wellington Guelph Drug Strategy, said the project "is going to involve people who probably wouldn't normally see themselves as having a direct role with substance use. We're partnering with the Chamber of Commerce and inviting community retailers to become involved in how meth supplies are distributed in our community."

Treatment rather than jail

Crowder said the drug strategy group has taken on other initiatives to fight the meth problem in Guelph. Since August, she said more than 200 local health providers have been trained on how to deal with a client they believe uses crystal meth.

As well, between October and December, a newly-hired addictions support worker saw 36 clients who were crystal meth users. More than half of those 36 clients had not had contact with either health or social services before seeing the worker, and 11 were referred to residential treatment, Crowder said.

"That's a great benefit to them that they went to treatment rather than to jail," she said.