Video: Florida sheriff's stern warning to heroin dealers goes viral

[teach1st]

Video: Florida sheriff's stern warning to heroin dealers goes viral
Tampa Bay Times, via Washington Post, 4/10/17

A Florida sheriff stood among his deputies — clad in all-black tactical gear, masks and sunglasses — describing his plan to combat a devastating opioid epidemic.

...

The public service announcement from the Lake County Sheriff's Office has been viewed more than 600,000 times, with at least one commenter comparing it to the Islamic State's beheading videos.

"ISIS just released another god—- video. Oh," Paul Szoldra from Military and Defense Insider wrote on Facebook while sharing the video. In the comment section, he added: "Some sheriffs are in law enforcement. Some others are trying to get on Fox and Friends."

The Lake County Sheriff's video drew mixed responses from social media users.

"Are you guys intentionally trying to look like comic book villains?" one wrote.

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[janterry]

1. Oh, Please

First off, most of the dealers are so caught up running their 'game' they don't have time to watch the local sheriff issue threats. They're too busy trying to keep their heads above water - getting high and/or making money.

The best thing that we can do is provide comprehensive treatment to addicts. Lock them up if they offend - but prior to release make sure there are comprehensive step-down programs (half-way houses and the like). Not the garbage 'Mom and Pop' programs that proliferate all over FL - but good ones!

Finally, do what Mass does and get them on methadone before they leave prison (yes, yes, I know no one likes to substitute one drug for another.............). But the studies are clear: long term addicts need intensive intervention post-incarceration or they'll head right on back to what they were doing before. Or they'll die (they are at higher risk for overdose post-incarceration because their tolerance level is low - and they don't realize it - and they'll relapse with a dose they'd commonly use prior to getting locked up).

[Maraya1969]

3. You've got to fight this on all sides.

[janterry]

4. IME, Florida already does

They're great at locking up folks. I've worked in the prisons (in FL) as a substance abuse counselor. We (well, they - I left the state 3 months ago, having lived there for over a decade
already lock up folks with very heavy sentences. The consequences are already grave. My guys (and women - I've worked in both the mens and womens prisons) knew full well what kind of time they'd have to serve.

More time wouldn't have dissuaded them one bit. When you're rapped up in it on the streets, not much will stop you.

The thing prison does - and does well, imo - is give them a TO in order to think about what they are doing. I've worked with hundreds of folks and NONE of them wanted to continue once they g ot out. The thing is, they usually did. Sometimes it was relapse - other times, they were influenced by the lack of jobs and support. They'd leave prison with 50 bucks and went to the shelter. They had no car, no job and no idea of how to proceed. Most employers won't hire an ex-felon. So, return to the lifestyle they did.

DOC will tell you they do a good job supporting folks when they leave prison. I can't tell you about other states, but I can about FL. They suck. I mean, they really, really suck.

Anyway, we're not in disagreement. Go ahead and lock up folks that sell. They need that time to get clean (or mostly clean.......sigh). The problem is that they all wind up back on the streets. We need to figure out how to help them in that transition.

[Maraya1969]

2. Remember when some Europe funneled in a bunch of heroin to China with the intent

of making their population worthless in a fight? Huge corporations were involved but they didn't sell most of their stuff to China

I keep thinking some country is purposely funneling heroin into this country. I don't think we've ever had such a heroin problem before.

I realize that a lot of people got hooked on prescription pills because of pill mills but.......I still think about who is sending in all this cheap heroin