WM Police Chief touts Crossroads Treatment Center as asset to community

WM Police Chief touts Crossroads Treatment Center as asset to community

Oakes: ‘ It’s sad that we need such a facility, but I’m very glad we have it’

news@theeveningtimes.com

“Addicts are dying before they can get the needle out of their arms,” said Chief Donald Oakes.

The nationwide opiate crisis is a recent arrival to West Memphis. A handful of overdose deaths with fentanyl laced heroin were recorded in the city last summer. City council passed a resolution in December to pursue opioid manufacturers and those that over prescribe. Statistics showed there were 80 doses of opioid pain killers for every man, woman and child in the state. Opioid abuse among Arkansas youth stands in second worse place in the country.

Some just-in-time help has arrived in the form of a methadone treatment and counseling center with hopes to cap the local addiction crisis. Chief Oakes and Mayor Bill Johnson recently toured the new Crossroads Treatment Center on south Avalon.

“They’ve been working well with us keeping us apprised,” said Oakes after the tour. “I’m glad we have it, but it is sad that we need it so badly.”

The chief counted the new facility as a needed asset in the city faced with the new addiction crisis reality.

“It’s sad that we need such a facility, but I’m very glad we have it,” said Oakes. “A couple years ago we did not have an opioid crisis, but it has come on so quickly that having a local treatment is now so important. Prior to this facility opening was daily travel to Memphis or DeSoto County and that is hard for people that are struggling with finances or transportation.”

The chief said daily methadone doses cost about $15.00 each day, which is less than an addict spends on heroin.

“That is affordable for a family trying to help a child through,” said Oakes. “Addicts must have that medication everyday. Its a huge burden to go to Southhaven. Now there is an option for families to get their loved one to nearby treatment everyday. Having this available locally is priceless.”

The chief indicated that heroin cut fentanyl was the main culprit to the resurgent addiction rate. Prescription abuse is a gateway to illicit drug dependency.

“It starts with taking hydrcodone pills,” said Oakes.

“It used to be that you could get the pills cheaply off the streets. The police began a nationwide crackdown on doctors writing pain prescriptions. While hydrocodone and oxycodone were off the streets it forced the opiate addicts back to heroin. After the enforcement pressure, heroin started to make a comeback.”

Fentanyl entered the mix with the heroin resurgence. “Fentanyl is completely man made,” said Oakes.

“Addicts and dealers began cutting their heroin with fentanyl which is cheaper but more potent. That’s when we started seeing the deaths,” said Oakes. “People think they are taking heroin but they are really taking fentanyl, which is a synthetic heroin made in China. It’s much, much stronger. So they think they are injecting heroin but they overdose on the more potent fentanyl.”

Oakes said the treatment center will help train police officers to identify users for referral to Crossroads Treatment Center.

“The company running this has been very engaged with us forthcoming with helping us understand what they do,” said Oakes.

“They are going to provide training to our officers so we can recognize people in an opioid crisis so we can refer them or their families to treatment.”

By John Rech