Efforts to fight the presence of methamphetamine in Wisconsin are paying off.
Over the past five years, the presence of meth in Wisconsin has seen a dramatic drop. Division of Criminal Investigations Administrator Mike Myszewski says the total number of cases sent to the state crime lab for meth testing is down almost 60-percent.
Myszewski says most meth labs are gone, but the drug is still coming into the state from Mexico. Police are now focusing on the criminal groups that move it in, in the same way they go after groups that traffic cocaine and marijuana.
A $710,000 federal grant will help police dedicate more time to combating meth trafficking. However, Myszewski says he'd also like to see funding restored for dedicated meth investigators. The state had 8 grant-funded special agents dedicated to meth investigations, which were lost after the grants were not renewed.
The drug remains a problem primarily in northwestern parts of the state.
