From the Harford County Sheriff’s Office:
United States Senator Ben Cardin will visit the Harford County Sheriff’s Office on Monday afternoon to discuss heroin overdoses and fatalities. Cardin will join Sheriff Jeffrey Gahler at the Southern Precinct in Edgewood to hold a round table discussion with other Harford County leaders on heroin and opioid Abuse.
Members of the HOPE (Heroin Overdose Prevention Effort) Group have been invited to attend and share successes, concerns and needs with Senator Cardin. The Senator intends on discussing what is being done at the federal level to assist in the fight against opioid and heroin abuse and he wants to hear from leaders in Harford about how we are tackling the issue and what resources we need to continue our efforts.
Addiction and overdoses are a medical problem not a law enforcement issue. Perhaps someone should direct Sen Cardin to experts in the medical field.
Addiction and overdoses become a law enforcement problem with police have to deal with drug dealers on the streets. They also deal with breaking and entering crimes because addicts will steal your things from your home and sell those things for drug money. They also have to deal with traffic accidents and fatalities because many of those same addicts drug under the influence of drugs. Addiction and overdoses lead to a lot of other criminal behavior that directly involve law enforcement. I agree it is a medical problem, but yes, it’s a law enforcement issue too.
Not to mention the use of and possession of these substances is a crime too! I have to wonder where was all this compassion for the crack addicts?
What is law enforcement’s incentive to solve the heroin problem? Solve the problem and they need less officers, less detention center space, less correction officers, lower budget…..follow the money.
Maybe sheriff Jeffie can convince Cardin to follow the tremendous success of Portugal and decriminalize all drugs.
Ahhh remember the Halcyon days when there was very little heroin available thanks to the talibahn but Bush and Dick brought back the cheap supply to American children they didn’t manage to kill in a useless war to make their friends rich.
LOL the average American really is disappointing when it come to critical thinking..
The public has spoken. They don’t care about drugs and any of its problems until it hits their door step.
Marijuana will be legalized soon enough in this state and I’d take a wild ass guess in the years to come that procession of CDS in some (small) amount will be decriminalized.
Folks, it’s never going to get better and there’s nothing nobody can do about it.
There once was a day when people like Ronald Reagan appeared in ads telling the world how good smoking cigarettes was for you. The reason attitudes changed was not because of arresting people or the help of corporations like Phillip Morris, but through public health education
Cool story, bro?
Good analogy, thousands of people a year get diabetes, but surely not because the average American weight is 300lbs.
This is a war that can’t be won under our current “methods” of addiction/mental health.
And just like I grew up with a DUI sign in front of the Police station, now we have a Heroin OD sign. DUI’s have never slowed down.
Drunk driving deaths have been cut in half since 1982 and it was not because more people have been arrested and put in jail.
Thanks for the supporting facts but I really didn’t need the help.
What sup’bro?
I’m sure NARCAN or whatever trademark will cut down om heroin deaths too.
1982, huh? Harford County and surrounding areas population has doubled since then, lots more DUIs.
Yes it was public information. That didn’t mean we start coddling the Drunk Driver and putting them in treatment we stepped up enforcement along with a PR campaign. Of course cars have gotten consideriably more crash resistant since than.
The same could work for Heoine but coddling the addict and making excuses will only enable the users. Cocaine use has been declining since 1982!
It is a law enforcement problem as well as a mental/physical health problem. Have to find ways to work together.? I believe in the Angel Initiative, wish we had it here.
“Angel initiative”? Never heard of it. Maybe you should contact your public officials and ask them why we don’t have it. Nothing changes until someone does something to set it in motion.
If this is a private initiative, maybe your church cold start the ball rolling.
Is there someone I could contact to help you get this started. I don’t have any money, but I can make phone calls and write letters and emails.
Time to spread the word.