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Operation Crackdown: Police combat drug use
By Nate Jones
Staff Writer
Last week, South Portland Police Chief Edward Googins acknowledged in a letter titled “Operation Crackdown,” that the use of illicit drugs is on the rise in the city. The letter encourages residents who know someone selling or using illegal drugs to call an updated anonymous drug tip line so police can “deal with [resident] concerns in a professional and compassionate manner.”
“Unfortunately, those suffering from drug addiction often want to stop, but that is easier said than done,” Googins wrote. “Becoming involved with the criminal justice system is often the only way the addict can or will get help.”
South Portland Police Lt. Steve Webster said the department has seen nearly 40 more drug-related cases this year than in 2007, although it is hard to determine exactly how many crimes within the city—such as robbery or assault cases—are linked to drug abuse. “It’s not comparing apples to apples,” he said. “It’s a segment of the crimes that may or may not be reflected in each report as having relatively strong drug involvement.”
Day One Substance Abuse Services Outpatient Director Don Burke said he has also noticed an increase in drug activity in South Portland based on the number of referrals sent to the facility each year.
“We have plenty of cases referred to us from police and school officials,” he said. “The referrals have been consistent—they certainly haven’t ever gone down.”
Burke said according to Day One outpatient records, last year the facility treated 77 clients from South Portland and 82 have been treated this year.
Much of the increase could be a result of a recent shift in addicts abusing prescription drugs, Burke said. In the past few years, Burke said he has noticed adolescent addicts are no longer using crystal meth, cocaine or marijuana to get high, but whatever they can find in the family medicine cabinet.
“There certainly are a lot available,” he said. “The good thing is we can prevent it by educating parents and encouraging them to monitor their prescriptions, throw away old ones and don’t leave them lying around.”
Webster said although the anonymous drug tip line is not new, officers will now be handling tip line information as timely as possible to stay on top of any further increase in drug activity.
“Anybody who has used it before knows you just leave a message,” he said. “We actually had a few cases where we found old messages that had information about something ongoing. We have a new phone system now and the machine should be checked hopefully every day.”
Clark said police received three calls with valid information from the tip line within the first two weeks since the update. “It might be just that piece of info we need to finish something up,” he said.
Burke said while the tip line “certainly couldn’t hurt,” adolescents would not likely use the tip line, as they would view it as “ratting” on their friends.
“It’s a tool,” he said. “We may find it’s a tool nobody or just a few people use, but we should try. Whoever uses it will be at an advantage.”
Clarke said the tip line isn’t the only program police are “adding focus to” in order to prevent any further increase in drug related crimes in the city, although he would not say what other areas would be receiving additional attention.
To leave a tip, call the anonymous drug tip line at 327-4100 and to learn more about Day One and their available programs visit their Web site, www.Day-One.org.