Renville County crimes involving methamphetamine around children up dramatically

Minnesota law specifically criminalizes the possession or creation of methamphetamine around children and vulnerable adults.
And yet, according to Renville County Attorney Kelsie Kingstrom, in the past two weeks her office has charged out six individuals with possessing methamphetamine around children.
Kingstrom stated that in one case her office charged last week, a meth pipe with residue was on the floor in the child’s room. Another had meth on a table which the residing toddler could easily have picked up and put in their mouths. One case prosecuted recently had meth in a lunch box on the same hooks as the child’s winter clothing.
People who use, manufacture, or traffic methamphetamine put their children at a higher risk of abuse and neglect. Studies show 61% of infants and 41% of older children in out-of-home care reported active alcohol and/or drug abuse by their primary caregiver, secondary caregiver, or both.
Kingstrom stated, “Adults are old enough to make choices that ruin their own lives, but it’s unfair to do that to children. I don’t care if you are a parent, a guardian, a care giver, or the friend that came over to hang out — if you’re going to use methamphetamine, don’t do it around children, in the house they sleep in, or the spaces they play in.”