Officials react to spike in ODs

County and city officials expressed dismay Monday over the spate of drug overdoses in recent days, voicing frustration about how to deal with the problem of drug abuse in the community.

“It was not a good weekend at all,” said Sheriff Dwane Ford at Monday’s commissioners’ meeting.

“Do we need a master plan of some sort that everybody buys into?” wondered Jay County Commissioner Chuck Huffman. “It’s obviously a growing problem.”

Ford was skeptical.

“There’s no way to stop it,” said Ford. “Arrest one and another one takes their place … It’s easy money.”

Commissioner Doug Inman said he saw three different approaches: Better law enforcement, an effective way to help drug abusers into treatment and steering young people away from drug abuse in the first place.

Inman noted that the Jay County Drug Prevention Coalition may be applying for a $125,000 Healthy Communities grant focusing on drug abuse prevention.

“It seems like we take three steps forward and four steps back,” said commissioner Mike Leonhard.

Portland Mayor Randy Geesaman asked the city residents to help law enforcement root out drug dealers and users.

“They have to have evidence and proof, not just hearsay. They cannot just arrest people because they overdose,” Geesaman said. He recognized the effort and added strain placed on the city’s police force and fire department, and asked that community members get involved in neighborhood watch, recovery organization and church groups that reach out to addicts.

“We cannot allow this generation’s drug addiction spill over and pollute the next generation of young people coming up.”