Law enforcement agencies collaborate to address methamphetamine issue - KNOP
In response to the increasing threat of methamphetamine in Nebraska, federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies have formed a coalition.
NORTH PLATTE, Neb. (KNOP) -Federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies have formed a coalition to address the increasing threat of methamphetamine in Nebraska.
On Thursday, members of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), FBI of Omaha, Nebraska State Patrol (NSP), U.S. Attorney’s Office (USAO) for the District of Nebraska and Nebraska Attorney General’s (AG) held meetings in McCook to collaborate on ways to protect communities and build a network within agencies.
The United States Attorney for the District of Nebraska’s office sees between 600 and 700 cases each year. Of that, half of the cases are related to drugs and a large majority of those cases involve meth.
“The Midwest of a whole is experiencing a bigger meth problem than other parts of the United States,” said Jan Sharp, Interim United States Attorney for the District of Nebraska. “There are usually statistics dealing with opioids national and meth locally. Most of the country is having an increase in death from opioids and Nebraska isn’t seeing that. We are seeing meth and lots of it.”
Metro areas are not the only areas impacted by the drug crisis.
“We are seeing more cases where dealers are being located in smaller counties. It is not just in Lincoln and Omaha anymore,” said Sharp. “We were briefed on a case a few years ago and the biggest player was from Blue Hill, Nebraska. We want to make sure that issues people are seeing in the larger cities are not spilling into other cities where you would not traditionally see that.”
There are multiple steps in place to address the ongoing meth problem, including expanding access to treatment centers.
“We are trying to better provide service across the state for both meth and opioids,” said Doug Peterson, Nebraska Attorney General. “Treatment facilities are needed for long-term treatment. We are hoping to in the next several years to receive funds we can use toward treatment and prevention and create a state-wide system to help anyone dealing with these addictions.”
In addition to the network of agencies and expansion of treatment centers, the coalition is educating communities and children about the dangers of methamphetamine.
For more information visit: https://ago.nebraska.gov/life-or-meth.
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source: https://www.knopnews2.com/2022/03/05/law-enforcement-agencies-collaborate-address-methamphetamine-issue/
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