The annual report indicates felony cases charged in 1999 increased by 8 percent to 5,855, reflecting an upward trend started in 1995. Almost all of this increase, however, was driven by the large increase in methamphetamine crimes, as evidenced by a record 318 methamphetamine laboratories discovered in Pierce County. Violent crime was reduced in almost all areas, with assaults, homicides, and robberies all declining. The "Breaking the Cycle" drug center was opened in Pierce County in 1999 to offer alternative sentences and drug treatment to persons charged with drug crimes. The annual report details the administration of the Office of the Pierce County Prosecuting Attorney and the operations of its civil, criminal, and family support divisions. Tables and figures