Hiding in the bucolic Delaware County landscape: A burgeoning problem of drug dealing and addiction-fueled crime. Photo of tractor-crossing sign sporting a few bullet holes taken in Bloomville by photographer Mark Zilberman; shared in the Watershed Post's Flickr group pool.
Upstate New York's rural drug problem is growing, officials say. And as local police crack down on drugs, the problem is also generating a growing pile of lurid local news headlines.
A glance at some of the recent drug-related news from Delaware County reveals that illegal and black-market prescription drugs are taking a heavy toll on the community. Just last week: A cocaine bust in sleepy little Middletown. In February: "Drugs in Delaware running rampant," a special WBNG report declared alarmingly. In January: A Covidien employee was charged with smuggling prescription drugs out of a pharmaceutical plant, in a story that drew much head-shaking but little surprise from the region. Last fall: The commissioner of Delaware County social services told the county board of supervisors point-blank, "To be blunt, we're a drug-infected county."
In an area that depends heavily on tourism, could airing the county's dirty laundry carry a price? Perhaps -- but in an open letter to Delaware County residents today, sheriff Tom Mills writes that tackling the county's drug problem is more important than avoiding bad publicity.
Mills's letter follows, in full:
Should our Drug Arrests be publicized?
Delaware County is experiencing a significant surge in illegal drug activity. I have been cautioned by a few individuals that the recent press releases this Office has been issuing concerning drug activity may create some adverse publicity. Still, we have received an overwhelming number of calls from individual constituents applauding our efforts to eradicate the drug problem and rid our schools, businesses and communities of the unsavory element that habitually accompanies the use and sale of illegal drugs. What do you think?
One of my prime objectives as Sheriff is to secure a safe and peaceful quality of life for the citizens of Delaware County. In order to achieve this, I endeavor to face problems that arise head on and address them as expeditiously as possible.
The drug problem here is truly deplorable, and it's flourishing! Unfortunately, our rural communities have been exploited by dealers from urban areas looking for a place to carry out their business. These individuals have taken advantage of our limited law enforcement resources and set up shop, not just here, but everywhere in the upstate region. They think they can prey on our naivete. We are not suffering from denial. We admit it. We have a growing "drug problem" here and it's similar to that experienced by our next door neighbors in surrounding counties. We are working diligently together with other law enforcement agencies to curb it.
The frequency of local larcenies and random burglaries is increasing because once a person is initially sold drugs inexpensively, the cost for them increases in proportion to dependency. The user in a frantic search for money will steal from his family or resort to selling drugs to support his/her habit. When all else fails, they wil rob their friends, neighbors and employers. Incidents have multiplied drastically. Additionally, drug users are slaves to their addiciton and under its influence often operate motor vehicles and cause accidents.
Many drug dealers pass through our borders on their way from New York City to Albany, Binghamton, Syracuse, Rochester, Elmira, Utica and points beyond outside of New York State. Often those drivers are "high" and under the influence of narcotics and/or alcohol. Sometimes their drugs are uncovered as a result of being stopped for traffic infractions or being involved in a traffic accident.
The drug problem will only grow worse if left unaddressed. Matters involving drug addiction have impacted us all and caused so much sorrow and loss. We must attack it relentlessly and acknowledge our progress with due transparency. By doing so, we will offer relief to families, employers and schools, who are being victimized. We must also strive to offer help to those who suffer from drug addiction and encourage them to pursue a productive lifestyle. This approach is intended to increase the quality of life, promote the local economy, lessen our public assistance roles and offer budgetary relief in many forms to the general public.
It is important that members of the general public serve as our partners and help us identify the locations of drug-related activities. The tips we receive provide crucial information that is vital when establishing the justification for pursuing an investigation. We appreciate the recent support and cooperation that community members have extended us. We applaud their willingness to become involved in assisting us in addressing drug crimes and endeavor to preserve a degree of their anonymity.
By identifying potential drug activity and reporting it to law enforcement, crucial information will be provided to assist us with investigations, while maintaining a degree of an informant's anonymity. I have been encouraged by the recent support and cooperation of our community members and their willingness to become involved in assisting us in addressing drug crimes.
I have lived in Delaware County for most of my adult life as a matter of choice. I am proud of our county's heritage and its good citizens. I promise to uphold my oath and promote the arrest of any criminal endeavoring to take advantage of us. I believe it is important to publicize such arrests in order to deter crime and caution those on the border of indecision that the Sheriff of Delaware County is on duty and will work tirelessly to make the County of Delaware a great place to raise a family or conduct business. No drug dealers allowed!
