AKRON, Ohio — More than 1,200 houses across Summit County share an unwanted connection: They are on a public list which labels them "former meth labs."
3News Investigates visited a half dozen homes that are listed in the county sheriff's Office's database, available on the front page of the department's website. We spoke with current residents and explored the impact that being on the list can have on the neighborhoods and homeowners that remain long after the labs are gone.
The family-sized homes are scattered around the Akron area and unincorporated Summit County, as well. Some of them have large porches with comfortable sitting areas, or colorful flower beds full of life in the front yard.
Another home features a sign that alerts drivers to children in the area, while a nearby community promotes a neighborhood watch group.
But they all share one thing in common: These houses are labeled "former meth labs."
The database showcases specific addresses, along with the date of the bust and specific details about what law enforcement found inside or what kind of lab was there. The busts date back to 2001 until as recently as 2020.
"It's pretty quiet and peaceful, actually. I was really kind of surprised," admitted Tedd Adkins, who has lived on his street for years, barely 100 feet away from one of the homes on the list.
Adkins had no clue he was across the street from a home publicly declared a "former meth lab." The label surprises him, because law enforcement doesn't seem to give the property special attention.
"We see them come through every once in a while. I think there's something going on when you turn left down there," Adkins said when asked about the police presence in the area. "But other than that, no."
Sergeant Bob Disabato is a 33-year veteran of the Summit County Sheriff's Office and is head of its drug unit. He remembers when the list was created.
"They wanted to put it out there and let people know, 'If you're purchasing property, you might want to check the registry and make sure the home isn't on that,'" Disabato recalled.
But therein lies the problem: Most of these homes aren't owned by the same people that lived there during the lab busts. Some properties have been bought and sold multiple times since a meth lab was busted inside their walls, according to property records.
So what about the people who haven't committed crimes, whose address is still listed on a public agency's website as a "former meth lab"? Of the current homeowners we spoke to, no one felt comfortable going on camera, but many had an opinion.
One woman lamented that her parents, who were never involved in any crimes, had to deal with the "meth lab" stigma that hangs over their address.
Another young man admitted his father had been arrested at the home for cooking meth. He no longer lives there, but his mistakes hang over the family that still does.
Disabato admits it's an unintended consequence of the database.
"I do the best I can with what I have," he stated, emphasizing that the database is supposed to act as an informative tool. "I have always attempted to treat everyone as they treat me, the way I was raised."
But the intent doesn't help the 1,219 homes that remain on Summit County's website, much less the neighborhoods they occupy. Adkins compared the database to showing off a hunting trophy.
"It's kind of like having a deer on the wall or something," he reasoned. "That's pretty much all it is."
Disbato pointed to Senate Bill 113 when explaining why the database still exists. The Ohio legislation outlines remediation procedures after a meth lab is busted, and a disclosure of the bust when property is transferred between owners.
The bill has no mention of displaying addresses publicly, but it does note the board of health must determine when a remediation project has been completed. Disabato says, under those guidelines, clearing every house would be far too expensive and time-consuming.
"It would maybe have to be case-by-case, because some of the labs were very small labs, some of the labs were very large,” he added. "We're all human beings. We all have a tough job to do."