The Altona Police Service is joining other Manitoba law enforcement agencies in reporting a growing increase in meth-related crime.

This summer alone, petty thefts in Altona jumped nearly 100 per cent from 11 cases in July to 23 in August. While not all of these instances involved meth, Chief of Police Perry Batchelor believes a majority of them did.

He explained that petty crimes, like stealing loose change and other valuables from unlocked vehicles, make it easy for users to pay for their next hit of the cheap, highly addictive drug.

"The street price will fluctuate but generally it's around ten dollars a point for meth, which is extremely cheap in comparison to cocaine for example," he said. "If you can get into a car with small change, you hit two or three cars, if you can get enough for ten bucks you get another point (of meth) so you've got your fun money for the weekend so-to-speak, quite easily."

Batchelor said simply locking your vehicle and protecting your valuables can deter a thief and take away their opportunity to score more drugs.

While the latest statistics indicate an up-tick in meth-related crime for the community, Batchelor said the increases come in waves, noting officers are able to see the trend as it develops.

"In a community like ours it really tends to come in (and) hit us like a storm. We try to determine (the situation), try to effect arrests, try to clean things up and it sort of calms down again. But once the supply is there then these individuals are out again conducting their petty thefts."

Batchelor added that APS also sees some assaults that are directly related to meth-use.

According to the Addictions Foundation of Manitoba, in just three years the number of adults using the drug jumped 100 per cent, and around 50 per cent in youth.

An August 29th traffic stop in Altona yielded a quantity of meth among numerous other substances as well as weapons. Photo provided by Altona Police Service.

Batchelor said the drug crosses all demographics, adding over the years he's seen everyone from professionals to young adults hooked. He noted lately meth has been most popular among the 18 to early 30's crowd in the community.

Meantime, Batchelor said some law enforcement agencies have a working theory that the pending legalization of cannabis in Canada will further increase meth use, and he wonders if there isn't some credence to that thinking.

"I don't know what evidence they have other than the fact that meth is really coming on strong in Manitoba, and I think across Canada, that organized crime is now trying to fill the (future black market) void where they had cannabis and now the government is going to be regulating cannabis. Where are they going to pick up? What's the next commodity?"

Batchelor warns that meth has a tremendously negative impact on the user, their family and community. He added it is also a extremely hard addiction to kick, noting about 90 per cent of users continue to seek the euphoric high they got the first time they used meth.

For information on noticing the signs of meth-use, how to overcome or help someone overcome addition, visit the Addictions Foundation of Manitoba website.