He said these efforts are making a difference in bringing down overdose deaths.
Carroll County Sheriff Jim Dewees (photo from the Carrol County Sheriff’s Office website)
Frederick, Md (KM) Carroll County Sheriff Jim Dewees says law enforcement in his county has been making progress in battling illicit drugs as evident by a drop in overdose deaths. But the problem of illegal substances coming into the Carroll County still remains. “The opioid issue, heroin, cocaine, pills, is still an issue in my county, and it has been. And it’s not unlike any jurisdiction in the state. But we do an awful lot to combat it,” he says.
Sheriff Dewees, who as a guest recently on WFMD’s “Morning News Express,” says his agency works with the Maryland State Police, and municipal police departments to try and keep the illegal drugs and guns out of the county. “Myself, the State Police, Westminster Police and all the local jurisdictions meet regularly. We have wonderful relations. When these cases come up, we have the unique talent to investigate them short term, long term,” he says.
He says there has been progress in slowing down the flow of illegal drugs and guns coming into the county, but it still remains a problem. “It doesn’t necessarily mean it doesn’t happen. But over the years, we’ve done a significant job and we can see that through the amount of overdoses and deaths that we’ve had. Over the last five and six years, they’ve subsided significantly. because of our enforcement efforts. And it’s not just enforcement; it’s education and prevention,” he says.
In the past, Route 140 in Carroll County has been labeled the “heroin highway” because of the many illegal drugs and guns that came into the community through that roadway. But Sheriff Dewees says he’s hesitant to use that term in referring to Route 140. “But I’d be naïve if I you told that a lot of drugs and contraband and bad things didn’t come up on Route 140. It is the route of all evil for what takes places in Carroll County. 795 and 140 and right up into Westminster and then it leaves and goes to different parts of the county,” says Sheriff Dewees.
But patrols have been stepped up on Route 140. “You will see–if you’re cruising through 140 now–you’ll see a lot of my deputies and a lot of state troopers that are covering that area of 140 from Baltimore County to Westminster because we know a lot of contraband, drugs, guns are coming up through Carroll County through that route,” he says.
Even though progress is being made in keeping drugs out of Carroll County , the problem still exists in some communities, the Sheriff says., and one of them is Taneytown. “Working with Taneytown–and, unfortunately, Taneytown is a problem area for us when it comes to drug distribution–but working with their officers, getting tips, and doing long term investigation is really easy with a guy like Adrian,” says Dewees.
He was referring to Adrian Baker, the Chief of the Taneytown Police Department.
“Most the chiefs want us to assist them in those quality of life, long term-style investigations. They simply don’t have the resources to do that. I do. So working with them is seamless,” says Dewees.
By Kevin McManus