Salem Police Bust Meth Lab at Wallace Marine Park‏

This outdoor lab and another located in a park are the first Salem PD has seen in 2008.

Photo courtesy: Salem Police

(SALEM, Ore.) - Salem Police located the makings of a methamphetamine laboratory at Wallace Marine Park Wednesday and they subsequently arrested a 49-year old transient for this incident as well as a similar incident at Minto Brown Island Park on October 16th.

Lt. Dave Okada with Salem Police says their Downtown Enforcement Team was conducting a sweep of the area around Wallace Marine Park on the afternoon of October 22nd when they encountered 49-year old Charles Best in a transient camp.

"Officer Scott Emmons made contact with Best at the scene and developed information that Best may have been involved in the methamphetamine laboratory that was located at Minto Brown Island Park during the previous week."

Okada says officer Emmons continued with his investigation and eventually located the elements necessary to manufacture methamphetamine contained within two backpacks at the scene.

"There was no methamphetamine actively being produced at the time. Further investigation revealed that Best was also involved in the methamphetamine laboratory that was located at Minto Brown Island Park. In that instance, the laboratory materials were located in a cooler at the park and was not actively producing methamphetamine at the time."

Best was arrested and charged with two counts of Unlawful Manufacture of Methamphetamine and Unlawful Possession of Methamphetamine Waste.

Okada added that these two methamphetamine laboratories are the only two that have been located in the Salem area in 2008.