15 Arrested In Opioid Drug Sweep, Advocates Say Jail Not Solution
ROWAN COUNTY, NC — 15 people are charged following a drug sweep in Rowan County.
Law Enforcement calls it a step toward reducing opioid overdose numbers.
“Arresting ourselves out of this isn’t the solution,” said Lauren Kestner.
Kestner was addicted to opioid pain pills and heroin for more than a decade.
Now, she’s a Prevention Specialist at the Center for Prevention Services.
U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of North Carolina had a different message.
“With so many people taken off the street there’s a deterrent,” said U.S. Attorney Matt Martin.
Martin says the 15 arrests announced Monday in Salisbury bring the total to 47 people indicted since Feb. 2017 as part of this sweep.
They are accused of selling meth and opioids in Rowan, Cabarrus, and Stanly counties.
“Our hope is that this operation takes drug dealers and drugs off the street, decreasing the chances that we’re going to have more overdose deaths,” said Martin.
Governor Roy Cooper was in Hickory Monday meeting with members of the medical community, law enforcement and treatment coordinators, trying to find a solution to the opioid crisis.
“Expanding Medicaid would go a long way to help leverage our federal dollars that we’ve already paid to Washington to ensure about 600,000 more people,” said Gov. Cooper. “This would help us in mental health and substance abuse disorder arenas.”
Kestner says it starts with giving people housing and health care.
She hopes the 47 suspects get help in jail.
“I hope these individuals would be afforded the opportunity to find other ways to live, be offered employment, opportunities for housing, education opportunities,” said Kestner.
The U.S. Attorney says there could be more arrests related to this drug sweep.
The state medical examiner says deaths involving heroin were up more than 100 percent from 2010 to 20166 but went down to 540 in 2017.
Deaths involving fentanyl went up nearly 1,000 to 597 last year.
To read that report, click here.
