PLAN FOR METH-LAB BOUNTY IS A GOOD IDEA

When state Rep. Patrick Naeger of Perryville refers to the production of illegal methamphetamine in Missouri as a "crisis," he isn't exaggerating. Last year more than 200 meth labs were discovered in Missouri and shut down, more than any other state in the nation. And law enforcement officials know there are many more meth labs operating that need to be found and closed down.

But one reason there are so many meth labs is that they are easy to hide. Taking fairly simple ingredients that are readily available through retail outlets across the state, a meth producer can be in business quickly almost anywhere, from a private home to an outbuilding to a van to a motel room.

At the same time, the use of highly addictive methamphetamine is skyrocketing, which means the demand for any meth produced in the state is very high. Officials throughout the state are determined to put a stop to this illicit industry.

One method being proposed by Naeger and some of his fellow legislators is a bounty for information leading to the whereabouts of meth labs and the conviction of the lab operators. The bounty proposed in pending legislation is $10,000. The high amount is intended to attract swift action whenever a lab starts up, making it as profitable to tell the authorities as it is to dabble in meth production.

Rewards have been successful in other areas. Look no further than Cape Girardeau's own Crimestoppers program, which started last year and already has been credited with nabbing dozens of suspects involved in all sorts of illegal activity.

The matter of effectively dealing with Missouri's meth problem goes beyond catching the operators of meth labs. Individuals who are convicted must receive harsh sentences, and the state already has poured hundreds of millions of dollars into new prisons to accommodate criminals sentenced under stiffer guidelines. And there is the matter of meth addicts who require treatment at no small cost.

A $10,000 reward isn't a simple answer to Missouri's meth problem, but it is a big step in the direction of putting enough pressure on would-be meth-lab operators to make a dent. Let's hope the Legislature goes along with the proposal and quickly passed the so-called Bounty Bill.