Response to Alex About Drugs in Lakewood

[Lori Allen _]

Hi Alex,

Thanks for your post on your other thread about Lakewood and drugs. Personally, I would agree with you that the drug problem in Lakewood, while everywhere, is particularly bad. In 2013, Lakewood had the most heroin deaths (51) out of any suburb in the county, see http://lakewoodobserver.com/read/2014/0 ... or-action.

I have discovered that the Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI), the sheriff's office, and the highway patrol are in Lakewood every weekend night. This is not because our police are not component, but because the problem is too out of hand for them to handle on their own. The Ohio Investigative Unit and Liquor Control are also in Lakewood on a regular basis. Recently, these two agencies busted employees at Marc's,East End Market, and Birdtown Beverage for selling alcohol to minors or selling alcohol improperly. see below for more information.

http://gov.courtview.com/oh.cuyahoga.la ... 15CRB01356
http://gov.courtview.com/oh.cuyahoga.la ... 15CRB01840
http://gov.courtview.com/oh.cuyahoga.la ... 15CRB01841
http://gov.courtview.com/oh.cuyahoga.la ... 15CRB01842
http://gov.courtview.com/oh.cuyahoga.la ... 15CRB01356

I suggested at a council meeting over two years ago that Lakewood needs a drop-in center for youth between the ages of roughly 13 and 19. I said that I would volunteer my time and look for grants and funding to run such a center. I was given the brush off and told something to the effect of “we don't need that”.

When a community has a drug problem, everyone in the community suffers. Burglaries and robberies tend to increase due to addicts looking for items to sell for drug money. This could at least partially explain why there has been a slight increase recently of homes being broken into while people are sleeping and of people being knocked down, maced, and robbed on the street. Most professional criminals know better than to break into occupied houses.

The first step in solving a problem is acknowledging its existence and severity. Then, it takes seeking input from the entire community regarding solutions. For example, maybe there should be a telephone number that people can call or text dedicated to reporting suspected drug activity. I recall calling the police a year ago to report what looked strongly like a drug deal going down outside of Madison Bi-Rite. I was told that I would have to talk to narcotics. After a few rings, I was greeted by a male voice saying something to the effect of “Hello, you have reached the narcotics division, please leave a messsage”. In all fairness, this probably was a lapse in communication.

Overall, I think our police are doing a great job combating the drug problem with the resources they have. On the other hand, I feel more needs to be done on other levels to:

1. Try to reach our city's youth before they turn to drugs (drop-in center?)
2. Expand and improve treatment programs for addicts (this also goes up to state/federal levels regarding funding, etc.)
3. Come down harder on those that sell drugs, especially near schools


Again, thanks for bringing this up Alex. If enough of us acknowledge the severity of the problem and bond together for solutions, I think we can tackle the problem at least partially.

[ryan costa]

the data isn't quite lucid, because many suburbs are much smaller than Lakewood. in addition, many of the heroin addicts in Lakewood may have only moved there recently from other suburbs.

[todd vainisi]

I've heard that guy that stands on the south east corner of lakewood heights and warren begging for money is a heroin addict. It's been like 10 years of him standing there a couple times a week, hasn't it? I'd really like to never see him again.

[Jim O'Bryan]

the data isn't quite lucid, because many suburbs are much smaller than Lakewood. in addition, many of the heroin addicts in Lakewood may have only moved there recently from other suburbs.

I would go on to say, while it is a Lakewood, Rocky River, Westlake, Bay, Chagrin Falls and others problem. It stems from American policy.

The war on drugs is not working, America needs a new mindset for all of this.

.

[Phil Florian]

The war on drugs is not working, America needs a new mindset for all of this.

I totally agree with you on this, Jim, and would go one step further. The war on drug USERS is not working and America needs a new mindset for all of this. I attended a big heroin summit a year or two ago at the Cleveland Clinic. It was attended by a large gathering of community leaders from mental health, law enforcement, the media, local governments and the medical community. It had a few keynote speakers and some breakout sessions. One of the keynote speakers was from, if I recall, Lorain County and was their Coroner. He was heading up the task force to get their local law enforcement officers trained in the use of Naloxone, the drug that if administered immediately upon finding a person over dosing on Heroin can literally save a life. As police are often the first responders who arrive on scene, it made sense that this became something carried in every squad car as even waiting a bit longer for an ambulance to administer is often too late.

There was some initial push-back from the police on this. They were in the line of work to arrest criminals, not save lives of addicts. The coroner's response? "Look guys, these heroin addicts aren't your usual addicts. These could be YOUR sons or daughters." I am paraphrasing him (not by much) but his intention was clear and you could hear a pin drop in the packed auditorium. The idea that someone od'ing on cocaine or PCP was an "other" or "outsider" to be treated as such but with heroin the cops are saving some white suburban kid who got hooked on mommies pain pills and tries heroin for the first time and immediately starts to OD.

No one challenged the doctor during this part of the session but during the breakout session boy howdy did this point get discussed. We have treated addicts as criminals for so long we forgot how to treat addicts as people in need. Hell, we still mistreat people with mental illness in this country and often criminalize people for their behaviors related to their illness, too. The prisons in Ohio are wall to wall filled with addicts and the mentally ill. We replaced the mental institutions of old with prison cells and wash our hands of them. Until they come home after their sentence, untreated, and do it all over again. Thank god for three strike rules, right?

[Meg Ostrowski]

The war on drugs is not working, America needs a new mindset for all of this.

I totally agree with you on this, Jim, and would go one step further. The war on drug USERS is not working and America needs a new mindset for all of this. I attended a big heroin summit a year or two ago at the Cleveland Clinic. It was attended by a large gathering of community leaders from mental health, law enforcement, the media, local governments and the medical community. It had a few keynote speakers and some breakout sessions. One of the keynote speakers was from, if I recall, Lorain County and was their Coroner. He was heading up the task force to get their local law enforcement officers trained in the use of Naloxone, the drug that if administered immediately upon finding a person over dosing on Heroin can literally save a life. As police are often the first responders who arrive on scene, it made sense that this became something carried in every squad car as even waiting a bit longer for an ambulance to administer is often too late.

Naloxone (also known as Narcan) is now available FREE through Project DAWN to individuals who are at-risk of opioid overdose and individuals who know someone who is at-risk for opioid overdose. This is not just for heroin but prescription painkillers (Percocet, OxyContin, Oxycodone, Vicodin, Morphine, Fentanyl, etc.) as well.

Learn more at http://www.metrohealth.org/ProjectDAWN

[Phil Florian]

The war on drugs is not working, America needs a new mindset for all of this.

I totally agree with you on this, Jim, and would go one step further. The war on drug USERS is not working and America needs a new mindset for all of this. I attended a big heroin summit a year or two ago at the Cleveland Clinic. It was attended by a large gathering of community leaders from mental health, law enforcement, the media, local governments and the medical community. It had a few keynote speakers and some breakout sessions. One of the keynote speakers was from, if I recall, Lorain County and was their Coroner. He was heading up the task force to get their local law enforcement officers trained in the use of Naloxone, the drug that if administered immediately upon finding a person over dosing on Heroin can literally save a life. As police are often the first responders who arrive on scene, it made sense that this became something carried in every squad car as even waiting a bit longer for an ambulance to administer is often too late.

Naloxone (also known as Narcan) is now available FREE through Project DAWN to individuals who are at-risk of opioid overdose and individuals who know someone who is at-risk for opioid overdose. This is not just for heroin but prescription painkillers (Percocet, OxyContin, Oxycodone, Vicodin, Morphine, Fentanyl, etc.) as well.

Learn more at http://www.metrohealth.org/ProjectDAWN

Awesome, thanks!