Old Marine barracks in Quantico, Va., have become a unique training ground for police officers from across the country who lead the battle against the deadly drug methamphetamine.
The training program is run by the Drug Enforcement Agency, but its focus is state and local officers. Learning how to handle the potentially toxic, secret meth labs can mean a matter of life and death for the officers.
The DEA calls it the "clan lab school," which is short for clandestine lab. The barracks have been transformed into similar setups to the ones found in homes, apartments, motel rooms and even vehicles where toxic chemicals are mixed and cooked to make meth.
In Quantico, officers from around the country learn everything from the chemistry of making meth, to the best ways of gathering evidence during weeklong sessions. Officers are even taught how to take quality air samples.
Law enforcement officials also train for the very real danger they'll encounter when they bust a meth lab. The training prepares officers to deal with the drug and its dangers from detection to conviction.
During drills, officers wear protective suits and air tanks, often necessary to enter a meth lab. They prepare for the situation of entering a scene where the suspects are likely armed and chemicals present could turn the room into an inferno.
"Without the proper training, you can get in trouble real fast dealing with meth," said DEA Assistant Special Agent Kevin Foley.
In many parts of the country including West Virginia, Kansas, Pennsylvania, and Oklahoma meth makers have devastated communities.
To date, there have been only a handful of meth labs uncovered in the Washington suburbs. A Calvert County, Md., undercover detective said he has run across meth just once so far.
"It's going to be a big epidemic if we do get it," he said. "Everybody's saying it's going to be worse than crack."
In the clan lab school, officers learn everything about the two chief methods of meth production, both of which start with some type of pseudoephedrine. The officers actually make their own batches, which trainers say will make them better witnesses in court.
"For every 1 pound of methamphetamine produced, you're looking at 5 to 6 pounds of waste product," said trainer John Donnelly.
And that waste is toxic, so every meth lab must be treated as a hazardous materials scene. Officers are trained in how to take air samples. The program supplies the officers with $2,000 to $3,000 of new, flame-resistant gear.
The school also focuses on evidence collection. With meth, that means a refresher course in high school chemistry. Senior DEA chemists make sure they know exactly how to collect and test samples in order to win convictions and put meth makers out of business.
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