Law Enforcement Track: Holistic Approaches to Combating

Prescription Drug Abuse

Captain Hank Dial – Captain, Huntington Police Department, Huntington WV

Tim White – Regional Prevention Coordinator with Prestera Center

Disclosures

•  Hank Dial has disclosed no relevant, real or apparent personal or professional financial relationships.

•  Tim White has disclosed no relevant, real or apparent personal or professional financial relationships.

Learning Objectives

1.  State  the  effec+veness  of  collabora+on  among  professionals  to  bring  Rx  drug  abusers  into  treatment.    

2.  Demonstrate  communica+on  techniques  for  dialogue  to  ensure  op+mal  care  of  pa+ents  and  the  community.    

3.  Examine  opportuni+es  for  successful  collabora+on  for  par+cipants  to  implement  in  their  jurisdic+on.  

Introduction to the Issues

•  In 2007 we were forced to admit traditional law enforcement methods were not working

•  Crime rates were rising

•  Public perception was at a low point

•  Drugs were taking over our City

•  Our approach had to change

Holistic Approaches Used in Huntington

W&S Smokin’ Aces DMI Bright New Day

Demolition Sunoco EOD R2R

Weed And Seed (2008 - 2010)

In 2008, the city of Huntington was one of 16 cities in the country to be awarded a "Weed and Seed" designation. This designation enabled the implementation of a crime reduction strategy to an area of Huntington known for high crime.

This initiative provides funding for weeding (police operations) and seeding (development and planning, community outreach), strategy implementation. These strategies involve collaborations between citizens, police, city officials, faith community, local businesses and social support organizations to identify and solve crime problems.

Weed & Seed Target Area

Contains about 20% of Huntington’s population

Weed and Seed area responsible for 1.  60% of murders 2.  77% of prostitution arrests 3.  44% of adult drug crimes

Weed & Seed Target Area

Weed & Seed Target Area

Accomplishments

  28% reduction in violent crime

  35% reduction in drug offenses

  201 violent and drug offenders tried, 156 convicted

  85% consider the neighborhood safe during the day (75% before W&S), 54% consider neighborhood safe at night ( 26% before W&S)

  Vandalism replaced murder/shootings as one of the top three crime problems in the area as identified by the community

Accomplishments  

  Establishment of the Barnett Center

Accomplishments  

  Community Gardens

  Community Celebrations

  Treatment and Recovery

  Re-entry

Smokin’ Aces

DMI (Drug Market Intervention)

Although the Weed & Seed program reduced criminal activity in area of Huntington. A very concentrated part of the Weed & Seed area was still being plagued by high rates of violent and drug crime.

This area represented 33% of all drug offenses in the City of Huntington.

DMI (2009 – 2011)

DMI is a strategic problem-solving initiative aimed at permanently closing down open-air drug markets, that we duplicated from High Point, NC.

The strategy targets individual drug markets using focused deterrence with transformational elements. The most violent offenders are targeted and prosecuted as examples.

DMI

The strategy then targets low-level offenders and stages an intervention with families and community leaders.

Law enforcement mobilizes community residents, leaders, and family members of low-level drug dealers to voice their intolerance for this criminal behavior and to create opportunity and support for the offenders.

Offenders are given the option to straighten up or face lengthy prison sentences and are provided assistance in locating employment, housing, transportation, health care, and access to other social services.

DMI Steps to Success  

Step 1 – Crime Mapping Step 2 – Survey Step 3 – Incident Review Step 4 – Undercover Operation Step 5 – Mobilize the Community Step 6 – Contact with Offender’s Family Step 7 – Call-In / Notification Step 8 – Enforcement Step 9 – Follow Up

DMI Target Area

Our DMI target area was a two block by four block area in the Fairfield West Neighborhood.

DMI Results

Violent Crime decreased by 65%

Crime overall has decreased over 60%

At the end of the DMI strategy this area represented 5% of all drug offenses in the City of Huntington.

Bright New Day

WV National Guard Demolition Project

Sunoco “Gas Station”

The Sunoco was recognized in the community as a symbol of everything that had gone wrong in the Fairfield neighborhood.

It was a highly visible hub of drug sales and other criminal activity in both the Weed and Seed and DMI areas.

Sunoco Closure

Federal Food Stamp Case

Abderahmane Eloirzazi's guilty plea includes $127,000 in restitution and the property was turned over to the City of Huntington.

Sunoco Demolition

EOD (Equal Opportunity Destroyer)

The manufacturing, trafficking, selling, possessing and using of illegally diverted prescription medications has been a major problem for the residents in the Southern District of West Virginia.

In 2011 506 overdose calls were reported in the Southern District of WV. The Cabell/Wayne County area had 285 of those overdose calls, which is 56% of all overdoses in the Southern District.

This is not only a public health problem, but the number one crime problem in the area. In collaboration with the U.S. Attorney's Office, federal, state, and other local law enforcement agencies the Huntington Police Department has implemented an education and prevention program targeting a wide demography (middle school, high school, college, and adults).

EOD

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dr3jN6atZ44

EOD (2012 – Present)

R2R (River to Rail) 2012 – Present

Lessons learned from Weed & Seed and DMI

Defined area based on crimes data, defined benchmarks for success

Working closely with Steering Committee made up of community members, business owners, government agencies, and other invested parties

R2R Steering Sub-Committees

Law Enforcement

Prevention, Intervention, and Treatment

Community and Economic Development

R2R Undercover Drug Operations Date Location Notes

1/26/2013 320 W 5th St 1 arrest, crack 2/25/2013 922 9th Street W 2 arrests, guns, heroin 2/26/2013 11th St W Coaches Inn 2 arrests, pills 4/3/2013 2200 1/2 Washington Ave 2 arrests, pills, heroin 5/2/2013 1608 Madison 1 arrests pills 8/2/2013 522 14th St W Apt 1 & 2 2 arrests pills, heroin

8/15/2013 2504 1/2 Madison 4 arrests, heroin, guns 9/3/2013 1802 Jefferson Ave 1 arrests, guns, crack, pills

9/6/2013 924 Jackson Ave 1 arrests, guns, pills, crack, heroin

10/18/2013 Int a shipment headed for area 700 pills

11/15/2013 746 Washington Ave 2 arrests, pills, CE - Do Not Occupy

12/31/2013 1416 Jefferson 4 arrests, over 1lb heroin

R2R Directed Patrols

Directed Patrol Activity from January – April 2013 Activity Result

Vehicle Citations 170

Arrest 38

Heroin 242 grams

Crack/Cocaine 71.4 grams

Firearms 8

Currency $18,221

Illegally Diverted Prescription Medications

522.5 du

Code Enforcement Citation Category Entire City River to Rail

% Issued in River to Rail

953.02 High Weeds / Combustibles 690 52 8% 951.05 Rubbish/Garbage 261 15 6% 951.10 Dumping 5 0 0% 534.04 Junk Storage 621 48 8% 302.01 Sanitation 52 4 8% 905.11 Obstructing Sidewalk 4 0 0% 301.03 Vacant Structures and Land 52 6 12% 905.14 Obstructing Drainage Ditches 7 1 14% 302.08 Unlicensed Vehicles 4 0 0% 1109.01 Decaying Substance 1 0 0% Other 29 18 62%

Total 1726 144 8%

Total citations resolved 1058 131 12% # in Compliance that were resolved 803 84 10% % in Compliance 76% 64%

Community Engagement

West Huntington Organization Old Central City Association

Sports Camp

Faith Based Org.

Defending Childhood Initiative (Central City Elementary)

Non Law Enforcement - Demolition Demolition of 1029 Monroe Ave

Before After

Non Law Enforcement - Economic

Economic – Farmer’s Market / Wild Ramp

Non Law Enforcement - Environmental

Environmental – PATH, Code Enforcement, Sidewalks, Abandoned Buildings (West Middle)

Accomplishments

  Overall, Violent and Property crimes have all decreased since starting this new philosophy

  Overall Decrease – 22% Reduction   Violent Decrease – 30% Reduction   Property Decrease – 15% Reduction

  Increased community buy-in

  Multi-jurisdictional partnerships with other law enforcement agencies

Contact Information

Captain Hank Dial hdial@hpdwv.com

304-544-8449

Tim White tim.white@prestera.org

304-751-6251