ONGOING WORK TO DEFEAT THE OPIOID EPIDEMIC

 

 

 

As a follow up to our meeting in D.C. The Honorable Timothy F. Murphy was in our office on Thursday, April 20^th along with state law enforcement representatives, a local parole officer and local physicians to follow up on our request that Congressman Murphy apply, through the Justice Department, for a High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) designation for our area. The only current HIDTA designation in Pennsylvania is in Philadelphia yet Westmoreland County has become the crossroads of drug trafficking in this part of the country traversing Route 30 and the Turnpike. The drug overdose death rate in Westmoreland County is growing 46% a year on average with 174 deaths last year.  At this rate ten years from now we could have 7,689 deaths a year from this drug epidemic.  The cost to taxpayers for autopsies, coroner man hours, transporting, etc. is about $3,000 per case according to Westmoreland County Coroner Ken Bacha.  For 2016 the cost was $522,000.   This is money the county does not have.

 

Imagine what the costs will be with over 7,000 cases:  $21M!--not to mention the cost of crime that increases right along with the deaths.  We are not only losing loved ones and all their true potential to this deadly disease but the economic impact to our community and to our country could quite possibly be incalculably devastating.  A HIDTA designation would bring Federal resources to our area and manpower to collaborate with state and local law enforcement agencies to address drug trafficking.

 

Current Situation:  The term “epidemic,” which is used to describe the opioid abuse in Western Pennsylvania, is aptly named. The disease is spreading at an almost unprecedented rate and is transmitted from user to others as a means to finance their dependency.  Those trafficking in commercial quantities of pharmaceutical opioids and heroin move freely between the approximately 70 separate local law enforcement agencies that are located within Westmoreland, Cambria and Somerset counties. Many of these law enforcement agencies have only a handful of uniformed personnel and do not have the resources, or have not received the training, to conduct long range complex narcotic investigations.  The Pittsburgh District Office of the Drug Enforcement Administration, the federal agency that would cover Western Pennsylvania, appears to be principally focused on Allegheny County.

 

What the Future Holds:  We have not seen the worst. The epidemic will not burn itself out like a virus born disease but, rather, if not dealt with effectively, will virtually turn into a pandemic disease. Small law enforcement departments within Westmoreland County will see larceny, and other crimes indicative of drug use, continue to increase. Areas in Western Pennsylvania that for decades enjoyed a lifestyle where cars and houses could be left unlocked will see that they no longer will be able to enjoy this luxury. Eventually drug trafficking gangs at the commercial level will establish themselves in Western Pennsylvania. There will be instances of extreme violence between these gangs as they engage in turf battles.

 

We need Intelligence:  Drug law enforcement, to be truly effective and best utilize available resources, must be intelligence driven. Typically only tactical intelligence is collected, frequently at the time of arrest.  Strategic intelligence is critically important to obtain a true overall scope of the problem, to identify major trafficking organizations affecting our area, and to proactively identify new threats.  It is certainly understood that many of the law enforcement agencies in Western Pennsylvania do not have the manpower to do detailed telephone link analysis, asset identification and other required intelligence tasks.  The skills to accomplish these, and other intelligence requirements, require individuals who have had special training.

 

 

We need a comprehensive Task Force: The battle in Western Pennsylvania cannot be fought by 70 separate law enforcement agencies or even by a handful of small task forces.  Experience has shown that special task forces, consisting of not only federal, state and local law enforcement officers but of individuals from other state and federal agencies (revenue, child services, rehabilitation, etc.) is a proven way to fight a significant drug trafficking and drug use problem. Task forces that have had the most effect have had dedicated federal and state prosecutors working together, often with a special grand jury.  Skilled intelligence analysts have almost always been an integral part of these task forces.

 

We need:

 

• A stronger federal law enforcement presence is needed in Western Pennsylvania.  As such it is recommended that the Drug Enforcement Administration open a Resident Office in Greensburg to focus on opioid trafficking in Bedford, Somerset, Westmoreland and Cambria counties.

   

• A High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) entity should be established in Western Pennsylvania.  This would provide needed intelligence support, case prioritization, and funding. 

In addition to a HIDTA, the formation of a specialized task force, consisting of local, state and federal law enforcement officers should be formed in Westmoreland County.  The task force should also have dedicated prosecutors who would work with a grand jury established to hear only cases focusing on major drug trafficking organizations.

 

We hope the end benefit of our efforts will be to get the HIDTA designation which will serve as a catalyst to encourage collaboration among entities and to move toward solving this crisis. 

 

Because of our clients at Covington Investment Advisors we are able to make a difference in our community.  We thank you!