| Drug enforcementin Chatham County and Savannah is handled by a unique group called the Counter Narcotics Team. This team is made up of officers from SCMPD and surrounding areas to work together to combat drug crime in Chatham County.
The Chatham Savannah Counter Narcotics Team (CNT) was formed in 1994 and is a multi-agency narcotics task force. CNT is comprised of law enforcement officers from Savannah Metropolitan Police, Chatham County Sheriff, Garden City Police, Bloomingdale Police, Pooler Police, Port Wentworth Police, Tybee Island Police, Thunderbolt Police, Board of Education Police, and even the Richmond Hill Police. CNT is comprised of several internal units which are two Tactical Teams (used to combat street level drug sales/organizations), an Intelligence Unit (they receive/compile all drug complaints and information), a Diversion Unit (pharmaceutical drugs), and a Major Case unit (investigates mid to large scale drug organizations).
CNT is comitted to measurably reducing drug trafficking, and drug related crime by enforcing the controlled substance laws and by partnering with federal, state, and local law enforcement on mutual enforcement efforts.
CNT also responds to citizen and other complaints about drug activity. Such responses include reports concerning methamphetamine and methamphetamine labs. To report any suspicious drug activity call the drug hotline at 912-232-0402. This is an anonymous service and does not require the caller to talk to anyone or leave any contact information.
However, if circumstances arise and callers need to talk to a drug agent, please contact 912-652-3900. You can also call Crimestoppers at 912-234-2020 to remain anonymous.
Meth Strike Force
Over the past few years methamphetamine use has been spreading, west to east, across the country. While for the most part Savannah has been relatively free of the drug, it has now infiltrated the outlying areas of the Coastal Empire and police are seeing more and more evidence of the drug’s arrival locally.
To combat the growing “meth” use and its manufacture, four counties in the area have formed a “Meth Strike Force” allowing officers to work fully in concert. Chatham County, through the Counter Narcotics Team (CNT), the Bryan County Sheriff’s Office, the Bulloch County Sheriff’s Office and the Effingham County Sheriff’s Office have joined forces, providing enforcement to combat this new drug.
Methamphetamine is an exceptionally dangerous drug for two main reasons; it’s damaging and often times fatal effects on the body and its manufacture. It affects the central nervous system, and its use can cause profound irritability, insomnia, confusion, tremors, anxiety, extreme anorexia, paranoia and exceptionally violent behavior. Ultimately its use has been shown to cause strokes, cardiovascular collapse and death. It can be orally ingested, snorted, smoked or injected.
Clandestine meth or “clan” labs are often found in obscure areas and are very dangerous due to the chemicals used. The combination of anhydrous ammonia, small lithium batteries, off-the-shelf cold medications containing pseudoephedrine, camping fuel and/or denatured alcohol, makes for a volatile environment that often causes fires and explosions.
If you have any information about a lab, the chemical’s use or distribution, contact the Meth Task Force, anonymously, at 1-800-466-6806. The call is free and confidential. |