2 years in the Panhandle of Idaho
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7/13/2006
Before I speak about crime in this beautiful state, I want to speak of the positives. It has unparalled beauty - the mountains and lakes of northern Idaho, the huge rivers of central Idaho, and the high desert of southern Idaho - all offer breathtakingly beautiful scenery. Each road trip we've taken (during our two years in Idaho) has left me in awe of its raw beauty.
We relocated from a small town in southern New Hampshire where there was virtually no crime to the Panhandle of Idaho where the crime index is certainly greater. Until our move out west, my husband & I had never heard of methamphetamine, but we are definitely aware of its presence and know exactly what physical characteristics to look for in meth users as well. While there are fewer and fewer people actually cooking meth, it continues to be a growing problem in the Pacific Northwest. My understanding is that the primary source of methamphetamine is now coming across the Mexican border. Incredibly, a lot of meth travels through Idaho - most likely since it is a large, rural state without the funds to sustain a long-term war on drugs as well as its close proximity to Oregon, Washington, California, Montana and so on. It only stands to reason that along with an increase in the availibility of drugs (especially hard drugs like LSD, Ecstacy, Methamphetamine, etc.) is an increase in crime. These two problems seem to go hand in hand and in fact, feed off each other. The $64,000 question is how to put an end to this ever growing problem. Certainly, securing our borders is a must, but so is finding the money to fight this drug war within each individual state. One thing is certain, action is a necessity if we are to save our children from the scourge of methamphetamine and other hard drugs.
Carol | Coeur dAlene, ID