Methamphetamine Use Explodes In City

An explosion of methamphetamine use in Spokane has police, prosecutors and public health workers warning about a new wave of violence.

Arrests for the paranoia-inducing drug, also known as “crank,” nearly quadrupled in one year: from 79 in 1994 to 305 last year, police said.

Lynn Everson, a Spokane County Health District outreach worker, used to believe injectable cocaine was the worst drug imaginable.

Then, crack came along.

“Now we have crank,” she said. “I can hardly imagine anything worse.”

Everson said she’s seen heroin users switch to methamphetamine and become aggressive.

“They get really hyper, really paranoid and emotional,” she said. “I’m more fearful with this drug for personal safety than any other.”

Police Lt. Steve Braun said methamphetamine is rising in popularity because it’s relatively cheap and readily available. “What we’ve been told is that the highs are a little bit longer and the availability is better than in the past,” he said.

Violence associated with methamphetamine use drove police and other law enforcement agencies to form “Operation Circle” last year in an effort to bust a group of crank traffickers and users known as “The Circle.”

In an Eloika Lake murder last year, Alan Rochek of Spokane admitted killing a man while strung out on methamphetamine.

Rochek was sentenced to a life prison term. His alleged accomplice, Jacqueline Bence, is awaiting trial.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Earl Hicks has seen a significant rise in methamphetamine cases at the federal level in the last 18 months.

Another problem with the drug is its production process. The acids and solvents used to “cook” methamphetamine are potentially explosive.

“The problem is the local labs,” Hicks said. “It’s a dangerous process.”

Spokane police made a record 934 felony drug arrests last year, up from 838 in 1994, statistics show.

Crack cocaine was still tops, with 395 arrests in 1995. But that number was well below the 576 arrests reported the previous year.

Arrests for heroin nearly tripled last year, although the number - 91 - remains relatively low, police said.

Numbers of arrests involving other drugs didn’t rise significantly in 1995.

There were 53 marijuana arrests compared to 48 the previous year; 65 cocaine arrests versus 75; and 13 arrests for hallucinogens, up from 9.

, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: Graphic: Drugs of choice