Drug Problem Worsening in Ketchikan By Bonnie J Abbott February 01, 2014
What I do think is that this man does not know, accordng to his letter, that his information is not correct, pertaining to the out of town scum that are giving drugs to our community, it isn't accurate. I have been an addict my entire life, first it's a disease that I do not wish upon my worst enemy. I've been sober three years from crystal meth which therefore has led me to witness many drug transactions on a daily basis all over Ketchikan from out north to the end of the road out south and all over in town. Individuals who live here take trips out of Ketchikan & get caught coming back with the drugs, and they are part of our community not strangers. Drugs are everywhere and Ketchikan has always been behind the times compared to all over the US. Heroin just hit our streets two summers ago and it's been a major problem in the U.S. for years and years. Actually since the sixties and seventies and keeps getting worse. I'm sure there are people, like this man that are just naïve to the fact that we have some major long time dealers in this town that have never been caught and have been supplying Ketchikan for years. Some people know who they are but most do not! We need parents, teachers and everyone to actually inform their kids on what meth is and what it does. Also the other illegal substances that are in our community and the dangers that are directly and indirectly related to using drugs - not just physical health but the danger you put yourself in when you surround yourself with dealers who are making meth in Ketchikan and the latest fake Heroin that is being made here. We have the desolate locations to do this and not get caught. The dealers have younger people sell for them this is why we are all seeing all these young adults on our court calender, the dealers are using these young people and taking advantage of their extreme WANT for these DRUGS! So it's not the scumb bags from out of town selling drugs to our kids, it's here and it's an older generation making these drugs right here and sucking in the young adults, by promises of money and free drugs if they take this risk for them, and most do.... So what we all need to do is start realizing that when a person gets a drug charge for dealing drugs many of them, almost all are offered to work with KPD and lead them to other dealers and peddlers, while the person that they just caught, instead of enabling his addiction, he gets off scott free by telling on three other people to get his charges dropped completely. There are many informants working at one time, and all these individuals, if they accept the offer, will use drugs and keep on doing what they're doing, while working for KPD and obtaining information and doing drug buys, so they are let off on all their charges. So it's a vicious circle and will keep being so until we get informants who are not trained like KPD is, who are addicts, who are not to be trusted in the first place, and do not have very much integrity or past history of being all that truthful and honest on any stand in a court room. How do they use these addicted informants, knowing that most drug cases are never brought to trial due to the fact if the defendant loses he/she faces a much harder and way longer sentence, so they settle for the state's offer, and the informant never has to get on the stand, and then be ridiculed by defense attorneys who could argue these are people not to be trusted or believed and how can we put these people on stand for the state, when their credibility is crap to begin with. As you will see almost every drug arrest has decided to take the deal the state offers, and then the state is able to not have to put this informant that isn't credible and their only witness and lose their cases all together. So when one is arrested, three others are, and he goes free in each case. Add up the one that got away scott free and that number rises quickly and keeps the drug sales going and going on a steady cycle and pace...We need first a Detox Center in Ketchikan period!!! And Drug Counselors that have been Addicts their whole lives (They make the best Counselors) and more things for the teens to do here in Ketchikan. We are lacking on activities besides the rec center, for young teens and adults to participate in. For The Public: Think of all the things Ketchikan does not have that every state has for fun activities to focus on rather than boredom and ending up focusing on wha'ts over there instead of what is in the community for our kids to go and have a good clean time!!! Thank you, Bonnie J Abbott
Received January 30, 2014 - Published February 01, 2014 Viewpoints - Opinion Letters:
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