Illinois launches meth database to track makers

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. - Illinois launched an Internet database on Sunday that enables communities to track convicted methamphetamine makers.

The Methamphetamine Manufacturer Registry - linked on the Illinois State Police Web site - includes the convicted person's name, date of birth and county where the crime occurred, the governor's office announced.

The searchable information is collected by local circuit court clerks and the Illinois Department of Corrections and is available on the Internet to police and ordinary citizens.

The registry will help residents statewide in the fight to stop production in their neighborhoods, Gov. Rod Blagojevich said in a statement.

The database will be updated daily. Citizens can search for convicted meth manufacturers by name, county of conviction, or date of conviction.

Illinois State Police Director Larry Trent singled out meth as a particularly dangerous drug that can destroy families.

"Unlike many other drugs, meth is produced using hazardous chemicals that put not only the user, but entire communities at risk," he said. "The Methamphetamine Manufacture Registry is a valuable tool to protect citizens by identifying individuals who have a history of meth production."

Blagojevich signed legislation last year requiring state police to create the online registry.