Albuquerque, New Mexico: The ” Cash for Clunkers” program that cost U.S. taxpayers a billion dollars, the first week that it was introduced, has some financial experts concerned about when the cost of the program will end. But, the Albuquerque police department thinks they may have a way to save the government some money and gives vehicle owners free pick-up service too.
Like the federal government’s “Cash for Clunkers” program, Albuquerque has found a way to get some vehicles off the road that are polluting their city. But, unlike the federal program, which takes in cars and gives their owners over $4,000 in tax credits, the Albuquerque police program takes in vehicles but doesn’t give the owner a dime for them and many residents are perfectly comfortable with that. However, those residents are hoping they won’t be handing in their clunkers to them any time soon. On the other hand, Albuquerque police know that if they don’t get qualified vehicles in to their program, they won’t be doing their job to “protect and serve” the public.
Day after day, week after week, hour after hour, police across the county are finding vehicles that are both toxic to the environment and dangerous to the public. If you’re in an area troubled by meth labs, you’ve probably heard alot more recently about how meth is being made in cars, trucks, and RVs. They’re often referred to as “mobile meth labs”.
Using vehicles to manufacture meth is a trend that has been growing for at least a decade,according to DEA reports. The practice has left untold numbers of cars, trucks, and RVs contaminated with toxic meth lab chemicals, vehicles that have and are being sold and rented to others whose later health problems may remain a mystery to them.
The problem of vehicles contaminated by toxins, is especially troubling for families with young children and babies, whose small statures and still developing brains and bodies are more easily damaged by the toxic contaminants that permeate the interior of the vehicles they’re riding in. Yet, testing a vehicle to find out if it is contaminated with toxic chemicals is not required before it’s sold or rented, leaving the health of anyone riding in a contaminated vehicle, at risk.
How big of a problem are mobile meth labs? According to DEA, in 1999, 869 vehicles were identified as mobile meth labs, but two years later reports indicated that it was a trend that was growing. By 2001, 1,307 mobile meths were reported to the DEA, although they admit that figure may show just the tip of the iceburg. The actual number of vehicles being used as traveling meth labs then and now still remains a mystery. Until mandatory testing of rental and used cars is required, the public’s health remains at risk. It’s a fact that the Albuquerque Police Department’s “no cash for clunkers” program may help to resolve, when the vehicles get crushed. However, in the end the program may take one more bite out of their police department’s budget.
Seizing property used to make, sell, or distribute illegal drugs is a common practice implemented by police departments nationwide. Seized autos, like other confiscated items, are then sold by auction to the public, helping to fund the efforts of drug enforcement teams. Although the practice of crushing mobile meth labs will help to protect the health of the public, the effects of the program may, in the end, reduce the size drug enforcement team budgets. Less man-power on the street, who are less-fully equipped is likely to result in an increase not only in mobile meth labs but in-home meth labs, as well. A better practice may be to have higher value vehicles decontaminated, which insures the safety of the public, and at the same time will keep some money coming in to drug enforcement teams. A vehicle with a resale value of $10,000, for instance, could net the police department budget, about $4,000 after clean up, if the cost of decontamination costs them about $6,000. By crushing the car, instead of decontaminating it, they gain no funding.
The “no cash for meth lab clunkers” program in Albuquerque, may be detrimental to police budgets and to the meth lab cooks that own those vehicles, but it does help to protect the public’s health. However, the practice of decontaminating vehicles that can be saved may help them to keep some money flowing back in to their department budgets.
Here is another video from the man who ran the crushing machine that flattened the mobile meth lab.
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